Water Polo

Aztecs Earn First Conference Victory With 11-5 Win Over CSUN

Aztecs Earn First Conference Victory With 11-5 Win Over CSUNAztecs Earn First Conference Victory With 11-5 Win Over CSUN

Feb. 24, 2006

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - San Diego State received goals from nine different players, including two apiece from Elana Cervantes and Ashling Taylor, to defeat No. 19 CS Northridge, 11-5, at Matador Pool Friday afternoon. With the win, the ninth-ranked Aztecs improve to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play, while the Matadors fall to 1-8 (0-4 MPSF).

The game started on a slow note as CS Northridge scored the only goal of period when Erica Bonetti put a shot past Aztec goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore with under two minutes remaining, giving the Matadors a one-goal advantage after the first seven minutes of play.

It did not take SDSU very long to get going in the second quarter as Becca Ur knotted the score at 1-1 just one minute and 14 seconds into the second stanza. The sophomore's goal eventually led to a see-saw scoring affair as both teams traded goals throughout the period.

After Ur's fifth tally of the season, the Matadors posted a goal 25 seconds later only to have Cervantes respond with the first of two goals on the day followed by a Jenna Schuster goal to give the Aztecs a 3-2 lead. The second quarter, which featured six goals, ended with a pair of CSUN goals giving the home team a 4-3 advantage.

The third period is when the momentum shifted SDSU's way. Stacy Werner tied the game at 4-4 after CS Northridge's Bontetti was assessed an ejection and Anna Gonzales added her third goal of the year giving San Diego State its fifth goal of the contest. After the Matadors tied the game at 5-5, the Aztecs went on to score six unanswered goals and with the help of Kilgore's 10 saves, SDSU was able to put the game away.

During San Diego State's 6-0 run to close the game, Ashling Taylor netted two goals in the third quarter and Cervantes, Savanah Kelley, Ashley McCullum and Nicole Louie each scored a goal in the final period. Louie's goal was the first of her Aztec career.

San Diego State continues its road trip north with its next stop being at the Gaucho Invitational, Feb. 25-26, in Santa Barbara, Calif. The Aztecs will take on eighth-ranked Arizona State at 10:10 a.m. PST at Rec Center Pool on the campus of UC Santa Barbara in its first match of pool play.

#9 San Diego State 11, #19 CS Northridge 5

SDSU 0-3-4-4---11CSUN 1-3-1-0---5

San Diego State goals: Elana Cervantes 2, Ashling Taylor 2, Anna Gonzales, Savanah Kelley, Nicole Louie, Ashley McCullum, Jenna Schuster, Becca Ur, Stacy Werner
CS Northridge goals: Erica Bonetti 3, Allison Brookes 2

San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 10
CS Northridge goalie saves: Graziella Caredda - 12