Feb. 8, 2003
LA JOLLA - The seventh-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team began the 2003 season today with a pair of resounding victories. The Aztecs (2-0) swept through the first day of competition at the UC San Diego Arena Invitational, defeating CSU Bakersfield 16-5 in its first game of the day's group pool play before disposing of No. 17 Hartwick, 17-8, in game two.
Senior Amber Prestegard (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) was the Aztecs' top scorer on the day, totaling nine goals in the two games. The lefty was SDSU's leading scorer in both games by recording four goals vs. CSU Bakersfield and five tallies vs. Hartwick, matching the second-highest single-game total of her career. Prestegard now stands third on the program's all-time career goal-scoring list with a total of 185.
Junior Holly Hartzell (Vista, Calif./Fallbrook HS) also had a field day on the offensive end, totaling eight goals with three vs. CSUB and matching Prestegard with five against Hartwick. Senior Casey Finnegan (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) scored a pair of goals in each game and sophomore Dominique Delgado (Lompoc, Calif./Cabrillo HS) tallied three vs. CSUB and a single marker against Hartwick. Also scoring in each game were redshirt junior Chelsy Smith (Roseville, Calif./Sierra College) and freshman Savanah Kelley (Modesto, Calif./Johansen HS).
SDSU advances into the winners' bracket for day two play tomorrow and will play its first game at 1 p.m. vs. the winner of Group B (No. 6 Loyola Marymount, No. 8 UC San Diego, No. 12 UC Santa Barbara and Cal Baptist). The Aztecs then will take on the winner of Group A (No. 4 Long Beach State or No. 10 Michigan) at 5 p.m.
UC San Diego Arena Invitational First-Day ResultsCanyonview Pool, San Diego, Calif.
Game 1: SAN DIEGO STATE 16, CSU BAKERSFIELD 5SDSU GOALS: Prestegard 4, Delgado 3, Hartzell 3,Finnegan 2, Kelley, Schlactus, Smith, S. Stivers.
Game 2: SAN DIEGO STATE 17, HARTWICK 8SDSU GOALS: Hartzell 5, Prestegard 5, Finnegan 2,Delgado, Kelley, Onweller, Smith.