GENEVA, Ohio – The Fresno Pacific women's water polo team clinched the program's first-ever appearance in a WWPA Championships title game with a 9-6 win over Cal State East Bay. The Sunbirds edged the Pioneers 9-6 as Amy Zaninovich netted her ninth hat trick of the year and Madeline Frey (13 saves) earned her fourth-straight win.


INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: #2 Fresno Pacific 9, #3 Cal State East Bay 6
Box Score
Location: Geneva, Ohio | SPIRE Institute
Series: FPU trails 2-20
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Offensively, FPU started slowly. Through seven minutes, two goals from the Pioneers were all that showed on the board until Andria Martin powered one through for the Blue and Orange. 2-1.
• It was the spark that the Sunbirds needed, as they kicked off the second period with three straight scores to jump out to a 4-2 lead. After trading goals with the Pioneers, the Birds led 5-3 at the half.
• The offense stalled again in the third and CSUEB managed to convert a power play opportunity and penalty shot to event the score up at fives.
• FPU rattled off two quick goals in the fourth (Sam Witt and Savannah Mangrum) to regain the edge before East Bay's Ivanna Anderson responded for the Pioneers. 7-6.
• The Sunbirds did not let CSUEB get any closer; goals from Zaninovich and Hannah Gish put the game out of reach and signed FPU's ticket to the title game. Final: 9-6.
 
STATS:
• Zaninovich led all scorers with three goals.
• Other Sunbird contributors included Jenna Collins, Mangrum, Gish, Witt, Martin, and Katie Kisling, who recorded one goal apiece.
• The FPU defense came up big when it needed to; led by Madeline Frey in the cage, the Birds knocked down five shots (three saved, two blocked) in the fourth period alone.
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• It was only the second time in program history that FPU topped CSUEB, with their first victory over the conference rival coming earlier this season in a come-from-behind thriller that ended with a goal from Kisling at the buzzer (3/29).
• The WWPA title game appearance will be Team FPU's first and ensures their highest conference finish as a program.
 
SOCIAL:
• Twitter - @fpusunbirds | Instagram - @fpusunbirds | Facebook - /FPUathletics
 
UP NEXT:
• FPU squares off against #1 UC San Diego on Sunday, Apr. 28 at 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. The Sunbirds and Tritons will be playing for the WWPA Conference Title.