Jan. 31, 2005
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Water Polo Weekly Release
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No. 8 San Diego State Opens Up 2005 Campaign Against CS Bakersfield at the UC San Diego Invitational This Weekend
* The eighth-ranked San Diego State water polo team opens its 11th season as a sponsored SDSU sport on Saturday as it travels up the freeway to nearby UC San Diego for the UCSD Invitational. The Aztecs first game begins at 7:30 a.m. against Cal State Bakersfield. The two-day annual event runs all day and is being held at Canyonview Pool.
Alumni Game Recap
* San Diego State's water polo team scrimmaged the SDSU alumni and lost 10-8 at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center last Saturday afternoon. The game featured goals from 13 different players, seven for the alumni and six for the Aztecs.
SDSU received two goals apiece from juniors Rachel Serna and Cassie Zebisch. Junior Susan Stivers, and sophomores Elana Cervantes, Stacy Werner and Ashley McCullum each pitched in with one goal.
The alumni team featured some of the all-time Aztec greats. U.S. Olympians Gubba Sheehy and Rachel Scott participated along with current SDSU assistant coach Sara Weyandt. Members of last year's squad who played in the contest include Ashley Zabel, Sandy Onweller, Chelsy Smith, Kristin Moore and Donna Stivers.
Those who did not play, but were in attendance included four-time All-American Holly Hartzell, three-time All-America selection Larisa Baltgalvis, 2000 All-America honoree and SDSU volunteer assistant coach Curran Teigan and 1997 All-American Teri Mullins.
SDSU at the UCSD Invitational
* This is the 11th season in which the Aztecs have participated in the annual tournament. In those 11 years, SDSU has compiled a 24-20 record overall.
Only twice have the Aztecs reached the final game, once in the 1996 and last season.
In 1996, SDSU defeated UC Santa Barbara, Stanford and California, setting up the showdown with UCLA. The Aztecs ended up losing that game to the Bruins by a final score of 12-4.
Last season, SDSU was tested by three schools ranked inside the top-20 before reaching the tournament final.
In the first game, No. 20 Cal Baptist put up a hard fought battle, but the No. 5 Aztecs pulled away, 6-5.
Later in the day, SDSU faced 11th-ranked UC Santa Barbara and won a 4-2 decision to advance to the semifinals.
The round of four pitted the two No. 5 teams in the country against each other in SDSU and Loyola Marymount. The two teams battled until the end to force overtime. It was in the extra period that the Aztecs pulled away with a 10-9 victory.
In the final, SDSU went up against fourth-ranked Long Beach State. The 49ers got the best of SDSU as they went on to win 8-3 and take the tournament crown.
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