Hoosiers Win Rematch with No. 25 Fresno State, 7-4

Sunday, March 11

Tempe, AZ

12:30 PM

Indiana University

Fresno State

Hoosiers Win Rematch with No. 25 Fresno State, 7-4

3/11/2018 6:38:00 PM | Women's Water Polo

Box Score (PDF)Weekend Leaders (PDF)

Indiana returns to CWPA play in two weeks

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Hoosiers closed their last westward weekend of the regular season on a high note, beating No. 25 Fresno State 7-4 in a rematch from their season opener. The No. 13 Hoosiers (17-5, 0-1) were in a battle with the Bulldogs (3-12) through one half, but Indiana pulled away late to end the invitational with a winning record.

Kelly Matthews and Megan Abarta split four of the most important goals of the contest. Matthews gave IU two lead-taking scores, one in the second quarter and one midway through the fourth; Abarta opened Indiana's scoring in the first quarter and extended the Hoosiers' late lead following the goal from Matthews.

Game 21: No. 25 Fresno State 4, No. 13 Indiana 7 // Box Score
Team              1 – 2 – 3 – 4 | F
FSU:               1 – 1 – 0 – 2 | 4
IU:                   1 – 2 – 1 – 3 | 7

Abarta gained enough space on an assist from Sarah Myers to get IU on the board in an airtight first quarter. Fresno State equalized with a power play score on one of their last possessions in the period.

Matthews and the Hoosiers continued playing stingy defense in the second quarter. The senior made a field block to send the Hoosiers on the offensive and, after a blocked first attempt, Matthews converted the corner chance to gain the lead. Sarah Young extended the lead to 3-1 out of a Hoosier time out, but the Bulldogs found the net on their next possession.

Coming out of the half with a 3-2 lead, the Hoosiers had little room for error. Jessica Gaudreault held the line, making two of her nine saves on Fresno State's first shot attempts of the half. Matthews aided the effort with another field block, setting up a goal for Myers on the other end with three minutes left in the quarter.

Fresno State struck first in the final period to pull within one goal, at 4-3, before Indiana uncorked a decisive scoring run. Myers dished to Matthews a minute after the Bulldog score, and Abarta found her second goal a minute later. With a minute left in the contest, Indiana sophomore Joelle Nacouzi sealed the win on an assist to Jennifer Beadle for her 33^rd goal of the season (leads team).

Up Next: CWPA Play in Central PA
Sat.-Sun., March 24-25 • Saint Francis University • Loretto, Pennsylvania

Indiana will take advantage of a bye week over spring break, but they return to the gauntlet of CWPA play in their next pool entry. The Hoosiers will test their mettle against No. 20 Harvard and Bucknell on Saturday before playing their fourth true away game of the season on Sunday, versus weekend host Saint Francis.

That weekend away will be their last before Indiana's home finale, when they face No. 9 Michigan on Saturday, March 31. The game will honor Indiana's outstanding five-woman senior class—Jennifer Beadle, Jessica Gaudreault, Sarah Myers, Kelly Matthews, and Sarah Young—as they play their final home game as Hoosiers.