THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – A late goal from Lauren Lohmeier proved to be the difference as Cal Lutheran women's water polo edged Occidental 9-8 in a tightly contested SCIAC matchup Wednesday afternoon at Samuelson Aquatics Center.

With the win, the Regals improve to 5-7 overall and remain unbeaten in conference play at 3-0.

The two teams traded blows early, with each side scoring once in the opening period. Olivia Hurley opened the scoring for CLU, but the Tigers answered late in the frame to send the teams into the second quarter tied 1-1.

The Regals created separation in the second period behind a strong offensive push. Aleaha Gonzalez scored three times in the quarter, helping Cal Lu produce a four-goal surge that also included a tally from Kelsee Espitia. The run gave the Regals a 5-4 halftime advantage.

Cal Lutheran added to its lead in the third quarter as Espitia and Clarisa Robles each found the back of the cage, extending the margin to 7-5 heading into the final frame.

Occidental refused to go away, scoring three times in the fourth quarter to erase the deficit and tie the match at 8-8 late in the period.

With the game hanging in the balance, Lohmeier delivered the decisive moment, scoring the game-winning goal with just over a minute remaining to put Cal Lutheran back in front. The Regals' defense held firm in the closing seconds to secure the one-goal victory.

Gonzalez led the Regals offensively with a hat trick, while Espitia added two goals and two assists for four total points. Hudson Geier also turned in an all-around performance with one goal and three assists.

In goal, Izzy de Souza anchored the defensive effort with seven saves and three steals across the full 32 minutes. Chloe Gardhouse and Reyna Clark added three and four more steals, respectively.

Cal Lutheran returns to the pool on Friday to open play at the Convergence Tournament, hosted by Occidental in Los Angeles. The Regals will face Austin College at 12:45 p.m. before taking on Iona at 5:45 p.m. later in the day.