March 23, 2003
SAN DIEGO - The sixth-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team bounced back from a loss earlier in the day to defeat No. 18 Brown, 11-6, in the finale of a six-game homestand at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center. SDSU, which fell to Stanford in a conference match earlier in the afternoon, withstood a spirited challenge from the spring-breaking Bears behind senior utility Amber Prestegard (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS), who scored three of the Aztecs' seven second-half goals.
San Diego State (13-7) picks up its 11th win of the season against ranked opponents and sweeps its three games against eastern opponents over the last week. The Aztecs also reached double-digit goal-scoring for the fourth time in the last five contests. Brown (6-3) falls in the first official game of its spring break trip after two exhibition games.
The Bears were the team setting the early pace, converting both of their 6-on-5 opportunities in the first quarter. Junior Jackie Parente scored twice in the first, both times offsetting Aztec goals from junior 2-meter Holly Hartzell (Vista, Calif./Fallbrook HS) and sophomore driver Dominique Delgado (Lompoc, Calif./Cabrillo HS), and the visitors led 3-2 after the first seven minutes.
As the teams switched sides after each period due to glare from the sun, the Aztecs converted twice in the second quarter to take the lead for good. Junior driver Sandy Onweller (Poway, Calif./Palomar College) converted after a senior utility Casey Finnegan (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) steal and assist, and freshman 2-meter defender Savanah Kelley (Modesto, Calif./Johansen HS) finished a 6-on-5 to give SDSU a 4-3 lead going into the half.
The Aztecs became more efficient offensively in the second half, scoring six goals in a seven-plus minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters. Hartzell started the run with a backhand shot just before the shot clock expired, as she and Prestegard alternated the Aztecs' four goals in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the SDSU defense and junior goalkeeper Sara Daseler (Lodi, Calif./Hartwick) had limited the Bears to only a Parente goal over the second and third quarters.
The lead was stretched to 10-4 on goals by Finnegan and freshman driver Rachel Serna (Coronado, Calif./Coronado HS). Brown scored two of the game's last three goals to finalize the score at 11-6.
Hartzell matched Prestegard's three-goal effort, while five other Aztecs scored one goal each. Daseler finished the game with nine saves.
Parente's three goals led Brown. Melissa Iagulli, Jamie Relth and Julie Williams each added one goal. Junior goalkeeper Keira Heggie had a strong game in the cage and made nine saves.
SDSU, which now has only one home game remaining on the schedule April 19 with the second annual Harper Cup match against UC San Diego, returns to action Friday with a 3 p.m. MPSF contest at top-ranked UCLA.
March 23, 2003 - No. 6 SAN DIEGO STATE 11, No. 18 Brown 6Ray and Joan Kroc Center, San Diego, Calif.
1 2 3 4 TotalBrown 3 0 1 2 6SDSU 2 2 4 3 11
Brown Goals: Parente 3, Iagulli, Relth, WilliamsBrown Goalie Saves: Heggie 9
SDSU Goals: Hartzell 3, Prestegard 3, Delgado, Finnegan, Kelley, Onweller, SernaSDSU Goalie Saves: Daseler 9