Sept. 21, 2008

Game 19 Box in PDF Format

Game 27 Box in PDF Format

Stockton, CA -- The 6th-ranked Loyola Marymount University matched its best finish at the NorCal Invitational in program history as they finished right where they are ranked nationally, sixth in the annual tournament that features 16 of the nation's top-20 teams. The Lions earned an 11-5 win over No. 7 UC Irvine but fell to No. 8 Long Beach State, 7-6, in the fifth place game Sunday, finishing the tournament sixth, matching the finish they had in 2006.

The Lions move their record to 5-5 on the season with all 10 games coming against ranked opponents and all five setbacks coming to teams in the top-10, three of which were decided by just one goal.

LMU opened the final day of the tournament at the University of the Pacific with the six-goal win over the Anteaters, the largest win in the 18 meetings. LMU trailed by a goal after one frame but jumped on UC Irvine with a five-goal second quarter to post a 7-4 lead at the break. Goalie Andy Stevens and the Lions' defense held UCI to just one goal in the second half while scoring four of their own, including three in the fourth period.

Freshman Edgaras Asajavicius scored three goals while senior Tim Hummel added a pair for the Lions. Stevens finished with eight saves.

In the fifth place game, the Lions once again trailed by one after the first quarter, 2-1. Once again they relied on the second quarter to take a halftime lead. They jumped on the 49ers for four goals while allowing just one to take a 5-3 lead into halftime.

The 49ers came back and scored the only two goals of the third quarter to tie the game and then two more in the fourth to take the lead for good. LMU managed a goal in the fourth to cut the lead to one but could not get the equalizer. Stevens was solid in net again for the Lions with 11 saves while Asajavicius and Hummel led the team in scoring with two each.

This was the second meeting of the season between LMU and Long Beach State (LMU won the first meeting 12-8) and it won't be the last and it won't be a long wait. The Lions will get the 49ers at home on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 12 noon. Prior to the meeting the Lions will have their first Western Water Polo Association opponent in rival UC San Diego in La Jolla on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.

- GO LIONS -