SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific women's water polo saw 10 different players score in its 22-7 win over Ottawa Friday afternoon. The Cougars picked up their first win of the 2022 campaign in style leading from start to finish.
Three different Cougars led the way as
Montana White,
Maritza Ochoa, and María Boix Pascual each had career-highs with four goals apiece. White and Ochoa each had two assists while Boix Pascual tallied a pair of steals in the victory. In net,
Kate Green-Jones recorded 10 saves and the Cougars only allowed seven goals total in the game.
How it Happened: In the first 20 seconds of the game, Milena Guzmán Ortiz scored with penalty shot that gave Azusa Pacific the early lead.
Shyanne Rainey and White got in on the action just over a minute later to put the Cougars up 3-1. Boix Pascual got on the scoresheet with a goal to close out the first period with the Cougars in front 5-2.
In the second period, White tallied her second and third goals of the afternoon to extend the lead to 7-2 before Guzmán Ortiz tallied another goal on a penalty shot to put the Cougars up by six. The Spirit scored on the power play to get it back to 8-3 before Azusa Pacific closed out the half with four consecutive goals to blow the game wide open. Ochoa scored on a five-meter penalty for her second of the game before Boix Pascual also tallied her second less than a minute later. Guzmán Ortiz tallied her third goal with just over a minute to play in the period before
Kyra Kahahawai got on the scoresheet with a five-meter penalty goal of her own.
Up 12-3 at half, the Cougars continued to pour it on with six more scored in the third period.
Lauren Hoyle scored her third goal of the day and first in this game to start things off in the third. Ochoa tallied her second goal before White scored her fourth of the afternoon to make it 15-4.
Skylar Ford and
Grace Pugh each scored their first goals of the season late in the third period for Azusa Pacific before Kahahawai scored her second goal of the game to make it 18-6.
In the fourth period, the Cougars tallied four more goals to cap off the win in style. Ochoa doubled her tally in the fourth with a pair of goals while Boix Pascual also scored her fourth in the period.
Kaelene De Bie scored her first goal of the season with just 33 second remaining for the Cougars' 22nd and final goal of the game.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific tallied 22 goals, the most since the 24-8 win over Ottawa at the beginning of the 2020 shortened season. Four different Cougars scored for the first time this season and Boix Pascual tallied her first ever collegiate goal.
Up Next: The UCSB Tournament continues into tomorrow Saturday, January 22nd as Azusa Pacific will face Indiana University at 9:15 a.m. before taking on Brown University at 2:45 p.m.
