March 17, 2007
BERKELEY, Calif. - Sophomore Jenna Schuster (Upland, Calif.) netted a hat trick during a four-goal outburst in the first quarter, leading the seventh-ranked San Diego State water polo team to a 7-5 upset over No. 4 California in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game on Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, Calif. The Aztecs jumped out to 4-1 advantage in the opening period and used a smothering defense the rest of the way to snuff the Golden Bears' attack. With the victory, SDSU improves to 11-4 on the season and 3-2 in league play, while Cal falls to 8-7 overall and 4-3 in the MPSF.
The Aztecs drew first blood when Schuster tallied the first of her three scores at the 4:41 mark before the Golden Bears responded on their ensuing possession with a goal by Meghan Corso. Moments later following a California ejection, Schuster found the back of the cage for the second time to put the Scarlet and Black up by a 2-1 margin. SDSU padded its lead as sophomore Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) notched her 26th goal of the season at the 2:07 mark, while Schuster completed her hat trick less than 30 seconds later, flipping a shot past Golden Bear goalkeeper Heather Stuart for a 4-1 lead.
Following a Cal score with 47 seconds remaining in the first quarter, both offenses were frustrated the rest of the way as the game turned into a defensive struggle. Junior Tiphanie Elliott (Porterville, Calif.) ended a five-minute scoring drought with her fourth goal of the year at the 2:57 mark of the second quarter as SDSU appeared to be headed into intermission with a three-goal advantage. However, the Bears converted a 6-on-5 situation with just three seconds left in the half, bringing the home team back within two.
The two teams traded scores throughout the second half, but the Scarlet and Black managed to keep the upper hand. Senior Elana Cervantes (Davis, Calif.) provided the Aztecs' lone goal of third quarter at the 4:38 mark, while Cal's Grace Reynolds answered shortly over a minute later, trimming the lead to 6-4.
With four minutes elapsed in the final period, senior Stacy Werner (Lodi, Calif.) scored on a man-up opportunity, giving San Diego State a comfortable 7-4 cushion. The Bears' Corso then tallied her second goal of the game with 2:59 remaining to complete the scoring.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif.) kept Cal off balance for most of the day, posting 13 saves to help the Aztecs snap a five-game losing streak to their Northern California rivals. With the win, the Scarlet and Black also defeated a top-five opponent for the first time since March 14, 2004, when it edged then-No. 4 Long Beach State, 10-9, at the Salvation Army Kroc Center.
SDSU wraps up its weekend slate on Sunday when it travels to Stockton, Calif., for a doubleheader against MPSF adversary Pacific and 18th-ranked Princeton, beginning at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Both matches will be held at the Chris Kjeldsen Pool Complex on the UOP campus.
#7 SAN DIEGO STATE 7, #4 CALIFORNIA 5
Spieker Aquatics Complex
Berkeley, Calif.
SDSU 4-1-1-1--7
California 2-1-1-1--5
San Diego State goals: Jenna Schuster 3, Elana Cervantes, Tiphanie Elliott, Anna Gonzales, Stacy Werner
California goals: Meghan Corso 2, Darby Anderson, Julie Oreglia, Grace Reynolds
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 13
California goalie saves: Heather Stuart - 12