A pair of five-goal first quarters combined with sturdy backline guided the No. 11 Princeton women’s water polo team to a sweep at the LMU Invite Friday in Los Angeles. The day opened with a 12-4 win over Cal State Monterey Bay and concluded with another double figure victory, 15-5, over Sonoma State.
Katie Rigler led the offense with three goals and an assist, and Ashley Hatcher and Saranna Soroka added two goals versus the Otters.
Positioned with the momentum, the defense continuously prevented CSUMB’s offensive drives. The Otters were limited to 13 shots on frame and only four goals. Ashleigh Johnson made eight saves, including a pair of against Otter 5-meter penalty shots, and a team-high six steals over her 27:03 minutes of work.
In the field Kelly Gross, Rachele Gyorffy and Brittany Zwirner each made three steals apiece, as Princeton made 19 steals in the game.
Up 5-1 after the first quarter, the Tigers’ jutted to a 7-2 lead by the break and closed out the match riding a 5-2 run.
No. 11 Princeton: 5 – 2 – 4 – 1 – 12
Cal State Monterey Bay: 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 4
Goals: Soroka 2, Hatcher 2, Dunstan 1, Rigler 3, Gyorffy 1, Holechek 1, Martinez 1, Murphy 1
Assists: Dunstan 1, Rigler 1, Zwirner 1, Klein 1, Gross 1, Johnson 2
Steals: Zwirner 3, Klein 1, Gyorffy 3, Holechek 2, Martinez 1, Gross 3, Johnson 6
Saves: Johnson (27:02) 8, Soroka (4:58)
The Tiger offense again took charge and exposed Sonoma State’s defense from the get-go. Princeton opened with an 8-1 first half lead and closed out the match riding a 7-4 run to win 15-5.
Gross, Rigler and Pippa Temple found the back of the net three times and Soroka added a pair of scores to drive the offensive efforts.
Camille Hooks was a force in the middle, dishing a team-high four assists and continuously disrupting the Seawolves’ attackers with three steals.
The Tigers’ final defensive line of goaltender Johnson made nine saves and also served up a pair of assists. Zwirner played in the fourth quarter and added a save of her own.
Princeton (16-4, 2-0 Southern) closes out the weekend Saturday with Cal State Monterey and No. 14 Loyola Marymount.
No. 11 Princeton: 5 – 3 – 3 – 4 – 15
Sonoma State: 1 – 0 – 1 – 3 – 5
Goals: Soroka 2, Rigler 3, Temple 3, Zwirner 1, Gyorffy 1, Holecheck 1, Gross 3, Murphy 1
Assists: Coffey 1, Hooks 4, Dunstan 1, Zwirner 1, Gyorffy 2, Johnson 2
Steals: Hatcher 1, Hooks 3, Rigler 1, Zwirner 1, Gyorffy 3, Martinez 1
Saves: Johnson (26:12) 9, Zwirner (5:48) 1
