BOX SCORE

LA JOLLA, Calif. — No. 6 seed Cal State Monterey Bay opened play at the Western Water Polo Association Championship Tournament with a 9–7 upset of No. 3 seed Mercyhurst University Friday at UC San Diego's Canyonview Aquatic Center. The win puts CSUMB into the semifinals against No. 2 seed Cal State East Bay Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

"We came into the game today knowing we had to win," said CSUMB Head Coach Emily Schmitt. "The team was excited and ready to play. We came out strong and were able to control the game by pushing the offense and slowing their game defensively."

Fresh from being named to the All–WWPA team, senior Lucy Gates (Oceanside HS/Palomar College) shined again Friday. She led the offense with four goals and two assists while leading the defense with four steals.

CSUMB also got two goals and an assist from Morgan Tucker (San Diego/Clairemont HS) as well as a goal, an assist and three steals from Angela Steele (Agoura HS). Shelby Stephens (San Joaquin Delta College) went the distance in the cage and made six saves.

The Otters never trailed Friday, but traded goals with Mercyhurst throughout the first period until Tucker scored at even strength with 1:02 remaining to give the Otters a 4–3 lead. Olivia Boisen (Capo Valley HS) scored the first goal of the second quarter to make it 5–3, putting Mercyhurst in permanent catch–up mode.

Gates then scored the final four Otter goals as CSUMB extended its lead to 9–5 before a pair of late power play goals got Mercyhurst back two within two in the waning moments.