THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Steady rain fell from start to finish, but day one of the Seventh Annual Cal Lutheran Invitational featured eight of 34 games scheduled over three days at the Samuelson Aquatics Center and Sotelo Aquatics Center at Oaks Christian High School.
The Regals opened the home portion of their schedule with a strong four-goal fourth quarter that propelled CLU to an 8-7 victory over Division II Fresno Pacific. In the afternoon game, Cal Lutheran faced another D-II program in Azusa Pacific for the second time of the year, improving, but ultimately falling 10-8.
In the first game, the Violet and Gold jumped on the back of junior Jordan Card who netted five goals with an assist, a drawn ejection and a pair of steals. In game two, three players recorded multi-goal games with Card scoring a pair and both Adrienne Ingalla and Amanda Jones finding the back of the net for hat-tricks, respectively.
FPU took an early 2-1 lead after the first period before the teams exchanged goals in the second stanza putting the Sunbirds up 3-2 at the break. Despite allowing three in the third, CLU chipped away and got within a pair. In the fourth frame CLU exploded for four, holding FPU to one, and executed great defensive stands to earn the victory.
Jonesscored the first goal of the day and the momentum shifted when Ingalla's shot hit the cross bar and Card tipped it in to cut the deficit to one at 7-6. From set, Card then knotted the teams at 7-7 with just under five to play before she gave the Regals a lead for good on a man-up goal at the 2:06 mark.
Defensively, the Regals looked to Kaylee Kastrup for three stelas and one of three CLU field blocks with the others coming from Ingalla and Tatiana McCuaig. Manning the cage Gina Merry turned away 10 Sunbirds shots.
Additionally, Kastrup handed out a trio of assists and drew a pair of ejections with Sarah Simpson recording two drawn ejections in the win as well.
A rematch with Azusa Pacific again went the way of the Cougars who took a 3-0 lead in the opening frame. CLU outscored APU 3-2 in the second to pull the gap to two at the intermission and shut the Cougars out in the third, netting a pair of their own. The fourth quarter, however, doomed the Regals as they allowed five and only added two, ending the potential upset run.
To go along with her three goals, Jones drew a trio of ejections and tallied two assists. Card gave CLU two more man-advantage situations with a pair of drawn ejections, Kastrup handed out two assists and Ingalla had an assist and a team-high four steals. The only field block of the game came from KC Brendel and Merry turned away six shots after guarding the goal for all four quarters.
Cal Lutheran (1-3) will host day two of the Cal Lutheran Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, March 1 beginning at 8:00 a.m. Games will be played at both CLU and Oaks Christian with the Regals diving in for the first game at the SAC at 8:00 a.m. before rounding out their day at 3:30 p.m. facing CSU Bakersfield and Long Beach State, respectively.
Box Score: CLU 8, FPU 7
Box Score: APU 10, CLU 8
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