SANTA CLARA, Calif. – What a game.
The 2024 Golden Coast Conference Women’s Water Polo Championship title game came down to overtime, with No. 9 Fresno State earning their fourth straight title, 13-12, over No. 6 LMU.
The Bulldog’s (21-7) Kaitlin Howarth scored with 1:48 in the first overtime frame and the goal held as the game winner to give the Bulldogs the crown. They advance to the National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championships held May 10-12 at Cal.
The fact it went to overtime is a credit to the Lions (27-3), who won the regular season title and saw their 20-game winning streak come to an end.
Fresno State jumped out fast and held a 9-2 lead at halftime. The Lions then scored six goals in the third quarter and cut the lead to 11-8 heading into the fourth quarter.
They weren’t done.
The Lions outscored Fresno 4-1 in the fourth quarter and trailing 12-10 with 4:15 to play, scored the final two goals of regulation to force overtime. Ruth Arino Ruiz scored with 44 seconds on a five-meter to tie it at 12-12, and setup Howarth’s overtime winner.
Abbey Simsshauser led Fresno State with six points, scoring three goals with three assists. Goalie Paula Nieto Jasny had 11 saves.
LMU’s Skye Nankervis had a goal and five assists for a six-point game. Yanah Gerber led LMU with five goals and Anna Tarantino had three goals and an assist.
Fresno State’s Brooke Ochoa was named tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament team by Nieto Jasny and Simsshauser. LMU’s Gerber and Arino Ruiz were also on the All-Tournament team. They were joined by San Diego State’s Claudia Valdes, Pacific’s Hila Futorian and Azusa Pacific’s Maria Boix Pascual.
Third Place Game: No. 4 San Diego State 12, No. 3 Pacific 8
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No. 23 San Diego State scored four unanswered goals to start the second, lifting them to a 12-8 win over No. 21 Pacific in the third place game of the 2024 GCC Championships.
The fourth-seed Aztecs (17-15) opened up a 5-5 tie at halftime with four straight goals. The lead never dropped below three as Sydney Gish led SDSU with four goals and an assist. Kendall Houck had three assists and Hannah Bell had two goals and an assist.
The third-seed Tigers (16-11) were led by Dora Alaksza with five goals on 11 shots. She added two steals on the day. Hila Futorian had two goals and an assist for a three-point day.
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