Women's Water Polo | February 20, 2016

ERIE, Penn. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay women's water polo team played two at the Mercyhurst Invitational on Saturday, but could not find the win column in two close games.

VILLANOVA 13, CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 10
The Otters got off to a quick start against Villanova on Saturday morning, grabbing a 2-0 lead after two goals by Maggie Albers (Monterey High School). However, the Wildcats answered with three consecutive goals of their own. Trailing 2–3, the Otters found the equalizer from the hand of Tatiana Veloso (Reo de Janiero, Brazil) to knot the score at 3–3. Nova found the back of the net once more to take a 4–3 at the end of the first.

Each team scored a combine three goals in the second quarter. CSUMB scored half way through the quarter on a shot by Adrianna Craft (Belmont, Mich. / Rockford Senior HS). The Wildcats scored twice to grab a 6–4 lead at the half. Craft took matters into her own hands out of the break netting a hat trick in the third quarter alone. Cami Kellogg (Felton, Calif. / San Lorenzo Valley HS) completed the strong third quarter by tying the game at 8–8 with her goal at the two–minute mark. Villanova broke the tie 30 seconds later and held a 9–8 edge heading into the final quarter. 

Craft began the quarter netting her fifth goal of the game to tie the score once again, this time at 9–9. However, the Wildcats went on a 4–1 run in the final 7:34, handing CSUMB a 10–13 loss.

Along with Craft's five scores, both Kellogg and Albers pitched in two goals in the loss.

MERCYHURST 12, CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY 11 (F/OT)
In its second game of the day, the Otters played a tough contest against WWPA newcomer Mercyhurst, but came up short in overtime 11–12. The Otters and the Lakers traded goals in the first quarter, but Mercyhurst found the back of the net with 5.3 seconds remainig to take a 3–2 lead.

MU began the second quarter with two unanswered goals to take a 5–2 edge. Veloso then spurred a comeback for the Otters, scoring two out of the three CSUMB goals leading to a 5–5 tie at the half. After the break, it was more of the same, as Monterey Bay and Mercyhurst traded goals, but the Lakers controlled the scoreboard with a 7–6 lead. Trailing by one, Veloso scored three times leading to a 9-9 tie at the end of regulation. CSUMB took control in OT, getting out to an 11–9 lead. However, the Otters allowed three goals to the Lakers in the final 1:30 to fall 11–12. 

Veloso led the Otter offense scoring five times. Monterey Bay will battle St. Francis–Brooklyn and Siena College on Sunday.