March 17, 2003
SAN DIEGO - The sixth-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team got its offense clicking in the second half, scoring seven goals over the final 14 minutes to dispatch No. 13 Indiana, 11-4. Junior Holly Hartzell (Vista, Calif./Fallbrook HS) scored four goals to lead the Aztecs, who blew open a 4-3 game at halftime with four goals in a four-minute span of the third quarter.
SDSU (12-6) wins its third straight game and continues to match the program's best record after 18 games since the 1996 team started 13-5. The Aztecs now possess nine wins over ranked teams. Indiana falls to 15-7 overall and 3-2 thus far on its seven-game West Coast trip.
Freshman Courtney Livak put Indiana up 1-0 with five minutes, 16 seconds remaining, but SDSU responded with the game's next three goals. Hartzell converted goals on consecutive possessions before senior Heidi Matsumoto (Grover Beach, Calif./Arroyo Grande HS) capped the run by putting the Aztecs ahead 3-1.
Indiana sophomore Krista Peterson scored with 13 seconds left in the first and senior Jamie Marley knotted the game at 3-3 early in the second. Hartzell had the quick answer for SDSU by converting a 6-on-5 advantage at 5:13 in the second, but both offenses struggled the rest of the quarter. The Aztecs had at least five shots hit the post and crossbar in the first half, and their lack of luck on St. Patrick's Day was summed up when sophomore Dominique Delgado (Lompoc, Calif./Cabrillo HS) beat IU goalie Jessica Goldner but the ball floated across the open goal and safely out of play.
The Aztec attack picked up in the third quarter with four unanswered goals, including a pair from senior utility Casey Finnegan (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS). Meanwhile, junior goalie Ashley Zabel (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) turned aside three consecutive Hoosier shots on one possession and made six saves in the quarter as the Aztecs built their lead.
Bridget McKeon brought the Hoosiers within 8-4 with the first goal of the final period, but SDSU closed out the game with three straight scores to earn the 11-4 win.
Hartzell's four-goal effort came on her 21st birthday, as she takes over the team lead with 36 scores on the season. Finnegan added two goals, junior two-meter defender Kristin Moore (Sacramento, Calif./Sierra College) registered her first two scores of the season and three others added one goal apiece. Zabel finished with 11 saves.
Four different players (Livak, Peterson, Marley and McKeon) scored for Indiana. Hoosiers goalie Jessica Goldner registered six saves.
SDSU completes its homestand at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center on Sunday, March 23, with a pair of games against No. 2 Stanford (12 p.m.) and No. 18 Brown (4 p.m.).
March 17, 2003 - No. 6 SAN DIEGO STATE 11, No. 13 Indiana 4Ray and Joan Kroc Center, San Diego, Calif. 1 2 3 4 TotalIU 2 1 0 1 4SDSU 3 1 4 3 11
Indiana Goals: Livak, Marley, McKeon, PetersonIndiana Goalie Saves: Goldner 6
SDSU Goals: Hartzell 4, Finnegan 2, Moore 2, Kelley, Matsumoto, PrestegardSDSU Goalie Saves: Zabel 11