Feb. 21, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU WATER POLO LOOKS TO REBOUND THIS WEEKEND
* Following two narrow losses, the eighth-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team looks to recapture its winning ways this weekend when it competes in the inaugural UC Irvine Invitational, Feb 24-25, at the Anteater Aquatics Complex in Irvine, Calif. The Aztecs (4-2) open the tournament with group play on Saturday morning, squaring off against No. 9 UC Irvine (7-1) at 10:15 a.m. PST. Also paired with SDSU and UCI in Group `A' is top-ranked UCLA and No. 19 Santa Clara.
If the Aztecs get by the Anteaters, they will face the winner of the UCLA-Santa Clara game in the afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m. PST. If SDSU falters, they will take on the loser of the Bruins-Broncos showdown, starting at 3:15 p.m. PST. The Aztecs will also play two games on Sunday with Saturday's results determining the opposition.
In addition to the aforementioned programs, the 16-team invitational features the seven other schools ranked among the top 10 in the latest national women's poll, including Stanford (2nd), USC (3rd), Hawai'i (4th), California (5th), San Jose State (6th), Loyola Marymount (7th) and UC Davis (10th). Rounding out the tournament are No. 11 Arizona State, No. 12 UC Santa Barbara, No. 14 UC San Diego, No. 15 Long Beach State and No. 16 Michigan.
PARADISE LOST
* San Diego State returns to action after suffering its second straight heartbreaking defeat, a 10-9 double-overtime thriller at No. 4 Hawai'i on Feb. 16. The contest was a seesaw affair throughout, featuring six ties and three lead changes. The Rainbow Wahine overcame a 3-1 Aztec advantage, gradually building a 9-7 lead of their of own early in the fourth quarter. Two SDSU goals midway through the period forced overtime, but Hawai'i got on the board during the second extra frame and withstood three Aztec shots in the final minute to escape with the win.
The Scarlet and Black also experienced a tough loss to Loyola Marymount in the finals of the UCSD Invitational on Feb. 11. SDSU held an early 3-1 advantage in that contest as well, only to see the Lions knot things up at 4-4 by intermission. The Aztec offense was shut down for most of the second half as LMU pulled away for an 8-6 triumph.
SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
* UC Irvine is off to quick start this season having won seven of its first eight games. After a third-place showing two weeks ago at the UCSD Invitational, the Anteaters opened MPSF play on Feb. 17 with a 6-3 victory on the road at UC Santa Barbara. Later that day, UCI routed Cal State Bakersfield, 17-6, in a non-conference tilt at the UCSB pool as 10 different players scored for the Anteaters.
Individually, sophomore Gianna Rossi leads UCI with14 goals so far this season, followed closely by senior Jackie Prine's total of 13. Prine tallied nine scores over four games at the UCSD Invitational to garner MPSF Player of the Week honors on Feb. 13. Carlsbad High School alumna Lauren Machanis returns for her junior season as the Anteaters' goalkeeper.
SERIES HISTORY VS. UC IRVINE
* The Aztecs have never lost to the Anteaters in 14 all-time meetings between the two schools. Last year, SDSU took a pair of games from UCI, winning both contests at the Anteater Aquatics Complex. In their first encounter on March 26, the Aztecs prevailed, 10-5, capturing their eighth victory in row during a season-high nine-game winning streak. SDSU featured a balanced attack in that contest with seven different players finding the back of the net, including three scores by then-freshman Jenna Schuster. The rematch was a much tighter affair, but the Scarlet and Black still came away with a 5-4 triumph in the seventh-place game of the MPSF Championships on April 30. The Aztecs capped off their 2006 campaign by overcoming a 3-2 deficit with three goals in the final period for the win.
WHAT SOPHOMORE JINX?
* The sophomore trio of Anna Gonzales, Erinn Greenwood and Jenna Schuster has provided much of the Aztecs' scoring punch thus far in 2007, accounting for 27 of the team's 51 goals (52.9 percent). Gonzales leads the team with 12 goals and is the only SDSU player to score in all six games this season. The Fresno, Calif., native has recorded four mulitple-goal games, including hat tricks against Hartwick and Loyola Marymount.
Greenwood has four multiple-goal games to her credit as well, which is one more than her total for the entire 2006 season. The Sanger, Calif., product leads the squad with a .455 goal percentage (10/22) and 18 ejections drawn and is tied for second with six assists. Schuster, meanwhile, tallied two scores in an 8-7 victory over UC Santa Barbara in the UCSD Invitational, including the game winner with 55 seconds remaining. Gonzales and Schuster are also tied for second on the team with eight steals apiece.
KILGORE WAS HERE
* Goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore is off to a tremendous start after six games this season, posting 64 saves, which is ranked seventh in the nation and third in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Her 17 stops against Hawai'i on Feb. 16 tied her collegiate best established last year on April 22 at Arizona State. With her effort, the Aztec senior has recording double-digit saves in four games already this year and is on pace to eclipse her total of 10 set in 2006. Kilgore also had double-digit saves versus Hartwick (10), UC Davis (13) and LMU (11). Her 10 stops against Hartwick on Feb. 8 vaulted her into second place on the Aztecs' all-time career saves list, surpassing Ashley Zabel. With her 600 career stops, Kilgore trails only Curran Teigen, who holds the SDSU record with 904 career saves.