March 6, 2003
SAN DIEGO - The seventh-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team scored the first nine goals of the game and cruised to a 12-4 win over No. 17 UC Irvine at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center Thursday afternoon. The Aztecs (7-3 overall/2-2 MPSF) were jumpstarted by a four-goal first quarter and held the Anteaters (9-8/1-5 MPSF) off the scoreboard for the first 21 minutes, 26 seconds en route to securing their fourth straight win.
SDSU received a balanced offensive effort - four players had two goals and four others had a single goal apiece - and consistent scoring with at least two goals in each period. The defense was not bad either, as the Aztecs held a 9-0 lead entering the fourth quarter thanks to six saves each from the junior goalkeeping duo of Ashley Zabel (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS) and Sara Daseler (Lodi, Calif./Hartwick).
Senior utility Casey Finnegan (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) put the Aztecs on the board with the first of her two opening-quarter goals at the 6:22 mark. Sophomore driver Dominique Delgado (Lompoc, Calif./Cabrillo HS) also had two first-quarter goals.
Team scoring leader junior 2-meter Holly Hartzell (Vista, Calif./Fallbrook HS) tallied her 20th and 21st scores of the season in the second and third quarters, and when freshman utility Taylor Cranney (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) converted her first goal with 1:59 left in the third, SDSU was up 9-0.
Meanwhile, UC Irvine was unlucky on the offensive end, as the Anteaters had at least shots deflect off the goalposts or crossbar through the first three quarters. Irvine was finally able to break through against SDSU's reserves in the fourth quarter with four goals, including two scores by Meghan O'Donnell, to draw within 10-4.
But SDSU closed it out with the final two goals, as Cranney converted a 6-on-5 opportunity for the Aztecs and senior Jackie Lopez (Commerce, Calif./Bell Gardens HS) capped it off with a goal with 43 seconds left.
The Aztec goalies continued their solid play, as Zabel has allowed just five goals while making 17 saves over her last eight quarters and Daseler has given up 12 goals versus 23 saves in her last eight quarters. UC Irvine goalie Sunceray Chamblee made six saves.
SDSU returns to action this weekend at the UC Santa Barbara Tournament on Saturday and Sunday. The Aztecs face host No. 11 UCSB in the first game Saturday, followed by either No. 2 USC or UC Irvine.
No. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE 12, No. 17 UC Irvine 4Ray and Joan Kroc Center, San Diego, Calif.
UC Irvine Goals: O'Donnell 2, Horman, RanesUC Irvine Saves: Chamblee 6
SDSU GOALS: Cranney 2, Delgado 2, Finnegan 2,Hartzell 2, Lopez, Matsumoto, Prestegard, SmithSDSU GOALIE SAVES: Zabel 6, Daseler (7:00, 3rd) 6