CSUMB Box Score
CSUEB Box Score

Fresno Pacific defeated CSU Monterey Bay 9-8 and lost to CSU East Bay 15-4 in Hayward on Saturday. The Sunbirds' win came after two previous defeats to Monterey Bay and marked a decisive victory for the team.

Katie Rayner led the sunbirds offensively with five goals, followed by Brittney Guerrero, with four. Mallory Rettig, Nicci Haley, Brenna Woods, and Michelle Kaplan each had one. Dani Mortimer had 23 saves. 

In the first game of the day, FPU put everything they had into a win over Monterey Bay. The Sunbirds went down 3-2 in the first quarter, but battled back to take a 7-6 lead after the third. 

The fourth quarter was an exciting one, as both team fought for the win. In the final minute of the game, with the Sunbirds up 9-8, Monterey Bay stole the ball and drove down the pool for a counter-attack scoring opportunity.  Dani Mortimer was able to get the save, though, and with 21 seconds left, the Sunbirds controlled the ball to capture the win.

"It was the kind of win we've been looking for," said senior captain Guerrero. "We've been in these situations with top teams and never come out with a win. This was much needed." 

"We were fired up for this game," added head coach Bryan Suhovy. "We got the lead and held on at the end. It was a great win for us."

Against East Bay, a team that has been in and out of the NCAA's top 20, the Sunbirds stayed close for a quarter and a half and then let the game get away from them, as the Pioneers took the 15-4 win.

"We were gassed after the Monterey Bay game," said Suhovy. "We hung with them in the beginning, but they got away from us. On the whole, it was a great weekend for us, though." 

FPU will travel to Davis on Monday to take on UC Davis and Harvard.