HAYWARD, Calif. - The 12th-ranked and top-seeded UC San Diego women's water polo team limited the opponent to one goal in each quarter as the Tritons trounced fourth-seeded Mercyhurst by a final score of 16-4 in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship semifinals Saturday at the Chabot College Pool. The three-time defending champion Tritons advance to a seventh consecutive championship game, Sunday at 1:30 p.m. against No. 3 seed Cal State East Bay.
With a sixth straight win, UCSD improves its overall record to 25-9. The Lakers drop to 9-11.
The Tritons got the first two goals of the game with a five-meter penalty shot from redshirt two-meter defender Alexis Wieseler and a goal from senior attacker Laurel Kistler with the assist coming from senior goalie Courtney Miller. Mercyhurst got one from Kennedy Watson as UCSD led 2-1 at the end of the first quarter.
UCSD got six goals in the second period, two from Kistler and one each from junior center Lauren Boyer, freshman attacker Krista Schneider, sophomore utility Kayla Fedler and freshman center Chanel Schilling, to take a 8-2 lead at halftime.
The Tritons increased their lead in the third frame, outscoring Mercyhurst 5-1, to grab a 13-3 advantage. Two of the five scores in the quarter came from freshman attacker Maddy Wieseler and Fedler. The elder Wieseler and Schneider were responsible for the other three.
Senior center Lauren Finwall scored once and Schneider found the back of the cage twice in the fourth period as UCSD won by 12 goals.
Schneider led the Tritons with four goals. Kistler also recorded a hat trick with three goals. Miller started the game and had four saves in the first half. Sophomore goalie Emma Scholz came on in relief in the second half and stopped three.
Watson was the leading goal scorer for the Lakers with two. Mercyhurst goalie Jesse Sworden compiled six saves.
Cal State East Bay was a 12-9 overtime winner over second-seeded Sonoma State in Saturday's late semifinal. Sunday's title tilt will have a free video stream here, with live stats courtesy of The FOSH here.
Box Score
UCSD 2 6 5 3 - 16
MU 1 1 1 1 - 4
Goals
UCSD: Krista Schneider 4, Laurel Kistler 3, Alexis Wieseler 2, Maddy Wieseler 2, Kayla Fedler 2, Lauren Boyer, Lauren Finwall, Chanel Schilling.
MU: Kennedy Watson 2, Meagan Marques, Katie Appell.
Saves
UCSD: Courtney Miller 4, Emma Scholz 3.
MU: Jesse Sworden 6.
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