March 12, 2004
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State earned a hard fought 6-4 victory over California on Friday afternoon at the Kroc Community Center Pool. SDSU fell behind 2-0 early but rallied to tie the score by the end of the first period, then used solid defense in the final three quarters to get the win. Sandy Onweller led the offensive attack with two goals and two assists while Ashley Zabel posted 10 saves in the cage. No. 5 SDSU improves to 14-3 overall, its best start in school history, and 4-1 in MPSF action.
The Bears' Elsie Windes opened the game with a goal on the first possession of the game, just 13 seconds in and she added her second score less than two minutes later to give Cal a 2-0 advantage. SDSU answered back as Rachel Serna pounded one into the back of the cage at the 2:45 mark and Onweller tied the score with 1:02 to play in the first quarter.
Defense was the key to the second quarter as physical play by both teams led to a scoreless period. SDSU took control of the game after halftime. Chelsy Smith drew a four-meter penalty shot at the 3:15 mark, which Onweller converted to give the Aztecs a 3-2 lead. Two minutes later Smith scored her own goal from two meters off an assist from Holly Hartzell.
Cal managed a rally in the fourth as Windes registered her third goal of the night just 34 seconds into the period to cut the lead to 4-3. Hartzell tallied a goal to make the score 5-3 with 4:55 remaining, but Cal again made the deficit one with another score at the 3:30 mark. After the Aztecs drew an ejection and called a timeout, Savanah Kelley took advantage of the 6-on-5 for SDSU and shut the door on the Bears with a goal from the perimeter.
Hartzell added an assist and three steals in the game. Serna recorded the final assist and Kelley had two steals.
The Aztecs host three more games over the weekend, including University of Pacific on Saturday at noon, and No. 4 Long Beach State and No. 19 Princeton on Sunday at noon and 4 p.m., respectively.
March 12, 2004 - Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center
No. 5 SAN DIEGO STATE 6, No. 7 California 4
1 2 3 4 TotalCal 2 0 0 2 4San Diego St. 2 0 2 2 6
Cal Goals: Windes 3, NeedlesSDSU Goals: Onweller 2, Hartzell, Kelley, Serna, Smith