PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Azusa Pacific women's water polo team opened its 2017 season with a split on the opening day of the Bruno Classic. They defeated Bucknell 14-7, then dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Brown at the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center Saturday. 

Game One - Azusa Pacific 14, Bucknell 7

Score sheet

Seven Cougars found the back of the net in the teams season debut, Megan Myers and Mar Pastor each netted four goals in Cougars victory against Bucknell. 

"Really pleased with the way the team came out and established the offense. They had great communication and played very much like a team," said head coach Julie Snodgrass. 

After Bucknell scored the opening goal, the Cougars responded with five goals by four different players in the first eight minutes taking a 5-1 lead to conclude the first quarter. Myers, scored the last two goals.

In the second quarter the Bison found the back of the net twice, but the Cougars answered back with three goals as they ended the second quarter with a 8-3 lead.

Bucknell tried to keep the score close by finding the net once to start the third quarter. In response the Cougars put away two, leading to the Bison finding the net three more times before the Cougars rallied another one in the last 15 seconds of the quarter. Freshman Mireia Tutusaus Alcaraz recorded two of the three third quarter goals in her college debut.

Azusa Pacific kept the rhythm of scoring in threes, wrapping up the game scoring three, two credited to Pastor. 
 

	1	2	3	4	FINAL
Azusa Pacific	5	3	3	3	14
Bucknell	1	2	4	0	7

Game Two - Brown 4, Azusa Pacific 3 (OT) 

Score sheet

The Cougars nearly swept the day but came up short in overtime. Azusa Pacific put up a fight against a team who up until this point in the season hasn't dropped a game (4-0). This is the first game of the season that Brown has been held to a single digit goals.

"Tough overtime loss by one to Brown. Even going against a big home crowd we tied it up in regulation. "Erica Marquez had a huge game with 10 saves," said head coach Julie Snodgrass "Our 5-on-6 defense held Brown to a low score."

Brown was the first team to find the net, but the Cougars weren't far behind tying it up 1-1 thanks to an Alcaraz goal near the end of the first quarter.

The Cougars struggled to find the back of the net during the second and third quarters. Keeping the Bears almost as silent only allowing one goal during a two-quarter duration bringing the score to 2-1. 

Within the first thirty seconds of the third quarter the Cougars found the back of the net tying it up 2-2. The score continued to change as Brown took back the lead 3-2. With just over three minutes of regulation play left the Cougars tied it up 3-3. The fourth quarter tying goals were courtesy of Pastor and Carinna Price. 
 

	1	2	3	4	OT	FINAL
Azusa Pacific	1	0	0	2	0	3
Brown	1	1	0	1	1	4

Azusa Pacific continues play at the Bruno Classic tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 5, against Indiana University at 8:00 a.m. and Hartwick College at 1:50 p.m.