MORGANTOWN, WV.- The Fresno Pacific Sunbirds showed determination but came up short in a 11-2 loss against Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday in the third place game at the WWPA Championships at Mylan Park Aquatics Center in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The Sunbirds struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, being held scoreless in the first and third quarters. They managed to get on the board in the second period when Maddie Murad scored off an assist from Emma Cook, and later added a fourth-quarter goal from Tatum Benson, assisted by Bella Alcazar. Despite generating 27 shots throughout the match, Fresno Pacific was unable to consistently capitalize against a strong CSUMB defense.

T. Benson led the team with five shots, while Maggie Cook also created opportunities with six attempts, drawing three exclusions. Frances Benson, Maggie Cook, Regan Azevedo, and Katie Whittingham each recorded a steal, helping the Sunbirds defensively. Goalkeepers Katie Whittingham and Evalena Filippi split time in the net, with Whittingham tallying two saves and Filippi three across their 32 minutes combined. The 'Birds drew five exclusions overall but struggled to convert those chances into goals.

Two Sunbirds earned the distinction of the All-WWPA Tournament team with M. Cook leading the way with first team honors and teammate T. Benson earning second team. 

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