March 9, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - After splitting a pair of games with ranked opponents for the second straight day, the San Diego State women's water polo team claimed sixth place at UC Santa Barbara's highly competitive Gaucho Invitational. The seventh-ranked Aztecs avenged an early season loss to No. 6 Loyola Marymount with a 7-6 overtime victory over the Lions before dropping a narrow decision to No. 5 California, 10-8.
With the nation's top 11 teams in action in what could be described as an early tune-up to the late April MPSF Championships, the Aztecs made an impressive showing. SDSU (9-5) defeated two top-11 teams and fell to a pair of top-five foes, finishing one place better (sixth) than its national ranking (seventh).
In a back-and-forth overtime struggle with the Lions, SDSU depended on its defense and the outstanding play of goalie Ashley Zabel (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch HS), who tallied 16 saves for the season's top total by an Aztec goalie. With the game tied 5-5 following regulation, the Aztecs outscored the Lions 2-1 in the second overtime period as junior 2-meter Holly Hartzell (Vista, Calif./Fallbrook HS) tallied the game-winner with 1:40 left. Her second goal of the game gave the Aztecs some revenge for a 5-4 loss to LMU at the season-opening UCSD Arena Invitational.
Senior utility Amber Prestegard (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) led the Aztecs with three goals, while senior utility Casey Finnegan (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) and junior utility Chelsy Smith (Roseville, Calif./Sierra College) each contributed one tally.
SDSU then faced fifth-ranked Cal for the first time this season in the fifth-place game. The teams matched scores for the first three quarters before the Bears outscored the Aztecs 3-1 in the final period to claim victory. Seven different Aztecs scored, led by Hartzell's two goals, and junior Sara Daseler (Lodi, Calif./Hartwick) made 11 saves.
SDSU returns to action Saturday, March 15, for an 11 a.m. rematch with Cal that begins a six-game, nine-day homestand for Aztecs at the Ray and Joan Kroc Center.
March 9, 2003 - UC Santa Barbara Gaucho Invitational Day 2Aztecs Game 1: No. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE 7, No. 6 Loyola Marymount 6Campus Pool, Santa Barbara, Calif. 1 2 3 4 OT1 OT2 TotalLMU 2 1 1 1 0 1 6SDSU 2 2 1 0 0 2 7
SDSU Goals: Prestegard 3, Hartzell 2, Finnegan, SmithSDSU Goalie Saves: Zabel 16
Fifth-Place Game/Aztecs Game 2: No. 5 California 10, No. 7 SAN DIEGO STATE 8Campus Pool, Santa Barbara, Calif. 1 2 3 4 TotalCAL 2 3 2 3 10SDSU 2 3 2 1 8
SDSU Goals: Hartzell 2, Kelley, Matsumoto, Onweller, Prestegard, Serna, SmithSDSU Goalie Saves: Daseler 11