BOX SCORE

College Park, MD – The Wagner College water polo opened the 2012 season with a tough matchup against  No. 15 UC San Diego (UCSD) this morning at the Terrapin Invitational held at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium on the campus of the University of Maryland.  The Seahawks dropped the season opener 11-6 to the nationally-ranked Tritons, marking the first season-opening loss for the Green & White since 2008.

UCSD took an early 2-0 lead in the first quarter following a pair of goals from sophomore Melissa Bartow.  Wagner was able to cut the lead in half as senior co-captain Chelsea Beck (Reading, PA / Wilson) scored with only a minute remaining in the opening stanza.  With 41 seconds left on the clock, UCSD's Sarah Lizotte found the back of the net to put the Tritons back up by two.

At the beginning of the second quarter, UCSD managed to squeak two quick goals past the Seahawk defense less than a 1:30 into play.  Wagner freshman Michelle Greenough (Davis, CA / Davis) answered back and knocked in her first collegiate goal narrowing the deficit down to three.  Less than a minute later, UCSD's Brittany Daniels put one in of her own to set the score at 6-2.

Sophomore Sidney Hoshko (Coronado, CA / Coronado) and senior Becca Hannings (Lansdale, PA / North Penn) then each placed one between the pipes before the Seahawks allowed two more second quarter goals to set the score at 8-4 headed into the break.

The third quarter saw little action until the final two minutes when Beck sent her second goal of the day past UCSD goalkeeper Allie Taylor.  The Seahawks maintained the three-goal differential until the last 50 seconds when senior Triton Kirsten Bates hit the net to set the score at 9-5.

The Seahawks held steady on defense for the first half of the final stanza until UCSD's Katherine Biehle sent a shot just out of the reach of junior goalkeeper Laura Karbach (Abington, PA / Germantown Academy).  A minute later, senior Molly Robinson (Lansdale, PA / North Penn) knocked in her first goal of the season, drawing Wagner to within 10-6. Ten seconds after  a Rachel Burns (Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand / Diocesan School for Girls) exclusion to put the Tritons in a man-up situation, Lizotte sent her second goal of the game into the net.

Wagner upheld a strong defense throughout the remaining two minutes as the game ended with UCSD on top, 11-6.

Karbach and Taylor each registered 8 saves in the game.

 The Seahawks are set to face off against No. 8 San Diego State at 6:30 PM tonight and will tackle the hosting Terps at 3:00 PM tomorrow.