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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The 16th-ranked LMU women's water polo team earned a pair of victories in the opening day of the 2014 UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational on Saturday, including a 7-6 win over No. 11 CSU Northridge.

The Lions opened the day with a 11-2 win over Claremont and then followed that by erasing a pair of multi-goal deficits to claim their second one-goal win in as many weekends.

Leading the Lions (3-1) was Mackenzie Beck who finished the day with five goals, three in the win over Claremont. Laura Lopez had three goals, two against CSUN.

Against the Matadors, who are coached by former LMU assistant Marty Matthies, the Lions trailed 3-0 heading into the final two minutes of the first quarter.

They recovered quickly, scoring two goals - the first from Laura Lopez and the second by Bridgette Alvarez - in the final 1:27 to cut the lead at 3-2. They then opened the second quarter on another goal from #6 to tie it at 3-3.

CSUN recovered with two straight goals of their own to regain the multiple-goal lead at 5-3 with 3:21 to play in the half. The Lions would get one back when Beck scored a 6-on-5 goal with 3:09 to leave the score at 5-4 at halftime.

Defense ruled most of the third quarter until Lopez tied the game at 5-5 with 2:11 to play. The team's would go another seven minutes without a goal until Beck was at it again.

For the second straight Saturday she would but the Lions ahead, scoring on a 6-on-5 goal with 2:59 to play to give the Lions their first lead of the game at 6-5. Then a minute later Kingsley Hill gave the Lions a huge insurance goal, giving LMU a 7-5 lead.

CSUN scored with 1:26 to play to cut the lead at 7-6 and had a chance at the equalizer with a minute to play but the Lions' defense held.

In the opener, the game sat tied at 1-1 before the Lions nine straight goals to the 11-2 win.

LMU continues play at the Winter Invitational on Sunday, taking on Sonoma State at 9:15 am, followed by host and 14th-ranked UC Santa Barbara at 1 pm.