Feb. 9, 2003
LA JOLLA - Senior Casey Finnegan's goal with one minute, 44 seconds remaining in the second overtime propelled the seventh-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team to a 6-5 win over No. 4 Long Beach State Sunday night. The victory gave SDSU (3-1) a split of its second-day winner's bracket games at the UC San Diego Arena Invitational and third place in the tournament, due to goal differential, with a 3-1 record.
Long Beach and No. 6 Loyola Marymount, a 5-4 winner over the Aztecs earlier in the day, also finished the tournament 3-1. However, Long Beach earns the tourney title by virtue of most goals scored.
Finnegan's game-winner was preserved by some clutch goalkeeper play by junior Ashley Zabel (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS), who stopped four shots in the second overtime including two in the final minute. Zabel deflected a tough back-handed chance by the 49ers' Roberta Stewart over the top of the cage and then denied LBSU's last-chance effort with one-and-a-half seconds remaining to give the Aztecs the win.
Junior Holly Hartzell (Vista, Calif./Fallbrook HS) also scored a pair of goals for the Aztecs and totaled 10 scores for the weekend to earn tournament MVP honors. SDSU's other goals were scored by freshman Rachel Serna (Coronado, Calif./Coronado HS) - the first of her collegiate career - and junior Sandy Onweller (Poway, Calif./Palomar College).
In its first game of the day, SDSU held a 4-2 lead after the second quarter but was blanked over the next two as the LMU Lions tallied three fourth-quarter goals to claim victory. Finnegan and fellow senior Amber Prestegard (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS), the team leader in goals with 11 after the weekend's play, each had two scores while Zabel was credited with eight saves.
The Aztecs return to action Friday for a 4 p.m. Valentine's Day rematch at Long Beach State.
UC San Diego Arena Invitational Second-DayChampionship Pool Play ResultsUCSD Canyonview Pool, La Jolla, Calif.
Aztecs Game 3: No. 6 Loyola Marymount 5, NO. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE 4SDSU GOALS: Finnegan 2, Prestegard 2SDSU GOALIE SAVES: Zabel 8
Aztecs Game 4: NO. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE 6, No. 4 Long Beach State 5SDSU GOALS: Finnegan 2, Hartzell 2, Onweller, SernaSDSU GOALIE SAVES: Daseler 5, Zabel (7:00 3rd) 7