Golden Eagles soar to first WWPA Championship
IRVINE, Calif. - Concordia University Irvine will represent the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) at the National Collegiate Water Polo Championship following its first conference title.
Amber Lewis scored to put Concordia in the lead with four minutes remaining, and Concordia (20-9) stifled Biola (11-18) on back-to-back plays with under a minute remaining to secure a 4-3 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Woollett Aquatics Center.
The Golden Eagles will make their first Nationals appearance in program history and will learn of their first opponent on Monday, April 13 at 5 p.m. PDT during the selection show on NCAA.com. Their 20 wins are the most in program history during their NCAA Division II era.
"We've been working hard not only this season but the last few years as well," said CUI head coach Casey Greenawalt. "It's great to see the results after putting the hard work in. This team has grinded through the ups and downs, and to put it all together in a defensive battle at the end was a lot of fun and well worth it for sure."
In a game in which the two teams were never separated by more than a goal, CUI finally took its first lead midway through the third quarter when Munroe Blem beat Biola goalkeeper Fernanda Luna to the front post on a 6-on-5 advantage.
Gwendolyn Pidd pulled the Eagles back even, 3-3, with a rocket inside the post in the first minute of the fourth quarter. It'd prove to be the last score of the game for the Eagles.
Goalkeeper Jaden Soto, who was named WWPA Championship Most Outstanding Player following an 11-save performance in the final, made five of those saves in the fourth quarter, and the Golden Eagle defense continually pestered legitimate scoring opportunities.
CUI earned a power play midway through the fourth, and it proved to be the difference. Mia Hueston found Lewis around the 3-meter mark, and the freshman deposited it cross-cage with 4:21 remaining.
The Eagle defense was up to the task and didn't allow many solid looks the rest of the way. They forced a high shot on CUI's last possession and took control with 12 seconds remaining.
Out of a timeout, Biola worked the ball around the perimeter to provide a good look for All-WWPA Second Team selection Destiny Moreno, but her skip shot bounced high over the cage as time expired.
The Golden Eagle bench dove into the pool to celebrate as a team and were joined by some of the home faithful. Even Greenawalt's 2.5-year-old daughter hopped in to join the festivities.
"It was special celebrating with everyone here, I still can't believe we won," said sophomore Anna Tyukasz, who was named All-Tournament. "We tried our best and we played our best, so we deserved it."
A first-year member of the WWPA, CUI went 7-1 in West Region play to take home the West regular-season title. Especially critical in that endeavor was a sudden-victory win over Biola during the final week of regular-season play.
Early nerves and stiff defense had both teams struggling to find the cage early in the match, as the teams traded three possessions apiece without a goal. Moreno finally broke the seal at the 2:21 mark, but CUI's Emeline Smiley, who was celebrating her birthday, answered right back on the power play.
After BU went back into the lead on Alyah Ibarra's goal, Hueston answered to force a 2-2 tie at the halftime break.
Neither team scored more than one goal in a quarter, and no player scored multiple goals. Hueston, an All-Tournament Team selection, was the leading point scorer in the contest with two points on a goal and an assist.
Luna finished with 13 saves on her way to All-Tournament honors. The Eagles have now been the WWPA runner-up two seasons in a row after their conference titles in 2023 and 2024.
WWPA All-Championship Team
First Team
Most Outstanding Player: Jaden Soto, Jr., Concordia
Mia Hueston, Fr., Concordia
Anna Tyukasz, So., Concordia
Fernanda Luna, So, Biola
Gwendolyn Pidd, So., Biola
Matipa Karimazondo, Fr., Salem
Kristen Hemmila, Sr., Salem
Kaya Eaton, Sr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Second Team
Maria Martinez, Fr., Gannon
Jazmine Sandoval, Sr., McKendree
Regan Hamilton, Sr., Fresno Pacific
Shea Tully, Sr., Cal State Monterey Bay
Kara Wicht, Jr., Salem
Ava LoBue, Sr., Biola
Munroe Blem, So., Concordia
3rd Place: #1E Salem 12 - #3W Cal State Monterey Bay 7 | Box Score
For full recap, visit www.salemtigers.com.
Consolation: #3E McKendree 13 vs #2E Gannon 12 | Box Score
For full recap, visit www.mckbearcats.com.