March 30, 2005
HONOLULU - The 12th-ranked San Diego State water polo team ended its week-long spring break trip in Hawaii with a 9-5 loss to No. 4 Hawai'i in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. With the loss, the Aztecs fall to 10-11 overall and 2-7 in the MPSF, while the Rainbow Wahine improve to 12-6 on the season and 7-2 in conference play.
Hawai'i got on the board early with goals from Lefke Van Belkum, Monika Kruszona and Beth Novick to put the Rainbow Wahine up 3-0. SDSU cut into the Hawai'i lead when Becca Ur scored from two meters with 2:19 remaining and Rachel Serna followed with a power-play goal a minute later.
In the second quarter, the Aztecs were the only ones to find the back of the net. Serna scored her second of the game with just over two minutes left in the first half to knot the game at three apiece.
Hawai'i would take the lead for good when Kruszona scored with 5:58 in the third quarter. Later, Novick put one past SDSU goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore from two meters out to put the Rainbow Wahine up by a score of 5-3.
In the fourth quarter, the Aztecs trimmed the lead to one when Stacy Werner scored with 4:47 remaining. Hawai'i's Anna Sieprath responded with a goal of her own on a 6-on-5 advantage to give the home team a two-goal lead. Moments later, Serna picked up her third goal of the game on a penalty shot, but the Rainbow Wahine posted three goals within a span of one minute and 21 seconds to put an end to the SDSU threat.
The Aztecs will be in action April 9 when they host conference foe San Jose State at the Ray and Joan Community Center. The game is slated for a noon start.
#12 SDSU 2-1-0-2---5 #4 UH 3-0-2-4---9
SDSU Goals: Rachel Serna 3, Becca Ur, Stacy Werner
UH Goals: Beth Novick 4, Monika Kruszona 3, Lefke Van Belkum, Anna Sieprath
SDSU Goalie Saves: Sarah Kilgore 4
UH Goalie Saves: Meike De Nooy 8