Riverside hands Vaqueros first loss, 5-4

SBCC split a pair of low-scoring games on Saturday at the Riverside Women's Water Polo Tournament, rallying past San Joaquin Delta 6-4 and suffering its first loss to Riverside, 5-4.

The second game was a rematch of last year's state final, which Riverside won 9-8 in overtime. The Vaqueros (7-1) took a 3-1 halftime lead on two goals by Emma Fraser and one by Halie Johnson, then the Tigers (7-0) took control with a 4-0 third-period burst.

Santa Barbara is 40-3 over the last two seasons with all three losses coming to Riverside. The Tigers won those games by a total of five goals.

Goalie Nicole Poulos had a season-high 10 saves against Riverside. Fraser had two goals and six steals.

"That third quarter was a great learning lesson for our team and we responded very well with several scoring opportunities," said coach Chuckie Roth. "This group is extremely motivated to improve and that should pave the way for a great week of practice."

In the early-morning Delta game, the Vaqueros fell behind 3-1 in the second quarter, then outscored the Mustangs 5-1 the rest of the way.

Fraser had a goal and four steals in the first game, giving her 10 steals in two games. She scored with 39 seconds left in the third period to give the Vaqueros a 5-4 lead. Tori Bray tallied the only goal in the fourth quarter on an assist from Johnson, who had two assists, three steals and two drawn ejections.

SBCC opens Western State Conference play on Wednesday when Ventura comes to San Marcos High for a 5:20 p.m. contest. The Vaqueros are seeking their fourth straight WSC title.

Wednesday will be the only home appearance for the Vaqueros in their first 24 games. The other five home games will be played on Oct. 27-28 in their Halloween Tournament at Santa Barbara High.