The University of Redlands women's water polo team kept it close in both contests during the University of La Verne Mini-Tournament on Saturday, but the Bulldogs fell to Concordia University - Irvine, 8-12, and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, 3-6.
Against a talented Concordia squad, Redlands senior drivers Moana Tuipulotu (Lahaina, HI) and Jill Stein (Palm Desert, CA) provided the bulk of the offensive output, each registering hat tricks. Additionally, junior center Jaci Cochrane (San Bernardino, CA) found the back of the net on two occasions, while junior goalkeeper Julie Lupfer (San Diego, CA) tallied seven saves.
Highlighting the Bulldogs' performance against the Sagehens was Lupfer, who came up with big-time saves for a total of 11. On the offensive end, Tuipulotu scored twice, while Stein put one past the Pomona-Pitzer goalkeeper as well.
The U of R (2-3) returns to the pool on Saturday, February 16, when it heads to Riverside for the Cal Baptist University Tournament. The Bulldogs will once again match up with Concordia - Irvine at 9 a.m., followed by a contest against CSU San Bernardino at 3:40 p.m.
