The Hornets claim the 2019 CCCAA State Championship as they take down conference rival Riverside City College 7-6 on Saturday.

Fullerton has had a remarkable 2019 season, only losing three games and winning 32.

Head coach Gabriel Martinez has had a great deal of success in his tenure as head coach for the Hornets. Martinez has earned multiple Coach of the year titles and even a state championship in 2014.

Having plenty of motivation and momentum, Fullerton began the game strong as sophomores Alexandra Lopez and Bryanna Santis both scored a goal to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead.

Both teams hit a wall as neither side was willing to give an advantage in the second quarter. Neither team was able to score as the scored remained 2-1.

Fullerton kicked up the intensity in the third quarter as they put up four goals as Santis and Lopez would gain their second goals of the game. The two other goals came from sophomore Briana Portales and freshman Kelly Doherty, putting the Hornets up 6-1.

However, Riverside would not go down without a fight. After a goal from the Tigers Maria Roldan with six minutes left on the clock, the Tigers shifted momentum.

Tigers Isabelle Ritter would go on a 3-goal scoring streak that led to a Jesenia Wilson goal that would tie the game at 6-6 with four minutes left.

Both teams struggled to gain a lead, but as time wound down, the Hornets took the lead. Santis scored her third goal of the day as Fullerton took a 7-6 lead with less than a minute left to play.

Both teams played aggressive right until the end, but as the clock hit zero, the Hornets prevailed and were crowned State Champions.

This win caps off an incredible 2019 campaign that rarely saw the Hornets lose as they dominated week after week.

Congratulations to the 2019 State Champions women’s water polo team. Go Hornets!