Women's Water Polo | 4/27/2018 9:08:00 PM

LA JOLLA, Calif. – The third-seeded Mercyhurst women's water polo team drop its opening-round matchup 9-7 to sixth-seeded Cal State Monterey Bay at the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Championship at Canyonview Aquatic Center Friday evening.

Chloe Kunst led Mercyhurst with a pair of goals and an assist for three total points. Mackenzie Ryburn added two more points with a goal and assist while also leading the Lakers with three steals.

Additional goal scorers for the Lakers included Erin Glass (2), Jennifer Moshinsky, and Nicki Borella.

The Otters' top scorer was Lucy Gates who netted four goals, all in the second half, on seven shots along with two helpers.

Most of the game's scoring occurred in the opening quarter with seven totals goals being scored. CSMB held the slight edge with the 4-3 lead at the end of one and also a one-goal lead (5-4) at the half.

Mercyhurst found itself on the power play ten times for the game and scored four times on it, including three times in the second half, but Gates' four-goal spurt in the third and fourth quarters gave CSMB a 9-5 advantage with 7:07 remaining.

Glass scored twice on the power play to pull Mercyhurst within two, but its rally fell short after that and time expired.

Shots were nearly identical with CSMB holding a 23-22 edge. Both goaltenders, Merychurst's Sarah O'Keefe and CSMB's Shelby Stephens, had six saves each.

The loss puts the Lakers into the consolation bracket, where they will face a familiar foe in Gannon on Saturday at 12:45 PT (3:45 ET).