RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran women's water polo team opened its 2014 campaign on the road at Cal Baptist this afternoon where the Regals faced a pair of tough scholarship opponents in Azusa Pacific and host CBU. The Regals were doubled up, 10-5, in the first game of the season by APU before falling 19-4 to the Lancers in the afternoon.
On a day when 17 of 18 players on the roster got into the pool, seven made her CLU debut against APU including Hannah Andrews, KC Brendel, Katelyn Dembowski, Sydney Foster, Audrey Neilan, Sara Simpson and Logan Young. Kimber Sanchez saw her first collegiate action in the night cap.
Jordan Card picked up right where she left off in 2013, scoring three times and earning six drawn ejections in the season opener. The junior center scored the team's first goal of the season on a five-meter shot, which also represented the lone CLU goal in the initial period of play this spring. In the second stanza she added two more, the final on another five-meter, for a hat-trick while Kaylee Kastrup chipped in with one and Neilanscored the first goal of her collegiate career with Brendelnotching her first assist for Cal Lutheran.
Though the Violet and Gold trailed by just one, 6-5, at the intermission, the Regals were unable to find the back of the net over the final 16 minutes of action while the Lancers added to their lead. In front of the cage, Gina Merry blocked 12 shots, adding a pair of steals.
Brendel led the Regals with four steals and a field block in her CLU debut and Adrienne Ingalla tallied three. Fostergrabbed two steals and drew an ejection while Simpson and Young had a steal apiece.
The second game was controlled by NAIA Cal Baptist from the start, but the Regals were down by just a pair after one period. Both Card, on a five-meter, and Amanda Jones found the back of the net in the first eight minutes and Ingalla tacked on the first of two before the break. A 5-0 deficit from the third quarter left CLU in too big of a hole to dig out of. Ingalla would add a second goal in the final frame.
Ingalla and Jones contributed with three steals apiece and Jones added and an assist against CBU. Neilan and Tatiana McCuaig came away with two steals against the Lancers and Young dished out an assist and recorded a field block.
Merry, again guarding the cage for all four quarters, turned away nine shots and grabbed a steal.
Cal Lutheran (0-2) is out of competition for the next two weeks as the Regals prepare to host the three-day, 17-team, 34-game 2014 Cal Lutheran Invitational from Feb. 28 to Mar. 2 at the Samuelson Aquatics Center and Oaks Christian High School.
Box Score: APU 10, CLU 5
Box Score: CBU 19, CLU 4
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