March 3, 2007
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior Stacy Werner (Lodi, Calif.) and sophomore Jenna Schuster (Upland, Calif.) combined for seven goals on Saturday, helping the ninth-ranked Aztec water polo team upset No. 6 San Jose State in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game at the Aztec Aquaplex. Werner tallied all four of her scores during a second-half outburst, while Schuster was the benefactor of some timely passes for SDSU, which raised its record to 8-4 overall and 1-2 in the MPSF. With the defeat, the Spartans fell to 6-8 on the season and 2-3 in league play.
The Aztecs shook off a disappointing loss to top-ranked Stanford on Friday by jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter against San Jose State. Sophomore Erinn Greenwood (Sanger, Calif.) found an open lane and sprinted in with an uncontested shot for the game's first goal at the 5:50 mark. On SDSU's next possession, fellow classmate Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) dented the scoreboard during a 6-on-5 situation, while Schuster notched her first goal of the day just over a minute later with an assist from Greenwood. Following a timeout, the Spartans responded with two scores as Angela Riddle and Bridget McKee converted consecutive man-up opportunities, pulling the visitors to within 3-2. The Aztecs regained a two-goal cushion on the ensuing series after Schuster redirected a Werner pass into the net with 31 seconds left in the quarter.
SJSU sliced the lead in half early in the second quarter on the first of five goals from Beth Harberts at the 6:54 mark. Neither team scored for the remainder of the period as the game turned into a defensive struggle with the Scarlet and Black maintaining a slim 4-3 advantage heading into intermission.
San Diego State snapped out of its offensive funk in the third quarter as Werner almost single-handedly took control of the game. The Aztec senior notched the first of her four goals after flipping in a centering pass from Gonzales, giving the home team a 5-3 lead at the 6:54 mark. Following a Spartan score, SDSU widened the gap with three consecutive goals over a two-and-a-half minute span. Werner converted a penalty shot and then struck pay dirt moments later during a 6-on-5 play. Gonzales, meanwhile, notched her second goal of the game before San Jose State finally answered on a score by Harberts with 2:07 left in the period. Just seconds later, redshirt freshman Jamie Vessey (Redlands, Calif.) got behind the defense and swiped a shot past the goal line, putting the Aztecs out in front, 9-5.
The two teams traded scores to open the fourth quarter as Harberts found the back of the net at the 7:16 mark, while Werner responded with her fourth tally of the day almost a minute later. SJSU crept to within 10-8 with five minutes remaining, but Greenwood threaded a perfect pass on the left side to Schuster, who flipped the ball past Spartan goalkeeper Kendra Adama to give SDSU an insurmountable 11-8 advantage at the 2:42 mark. SJSU tacked on a goal with 20 seconds left in the contest to round out the scoring.
In addition to her four goals, Werner also recorded six steals and chipped in with four assists. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif.) stopped eight shots on the afternoon, including some clutch saves in the second half.
Following their clash with San Jose State, the Aztecs held their annual exhibition game as the SDSU alumni claimed a 13-9 victory over the current squad in an overtime shootout.
San Diego State returns to action on Saturday, March 10, when it travels north to take on UC Santa Barbara and Marist in a doubleheader at the Gauchos' pool on the campus of UCSB.
#9 SAN DIEGO STATE 11, # 6 SAN JOSE STATE 9
March 3, 2007
Aztec Aquaplex--San Diego, Calif.
SJSU 2-1-2-4--9
SDSU 4-0-5-2--11
San Jose State goals: Beth Harberts 5, Alex Higlett, Deanna Lowry, Bridget McKee, Angela Riddle
San Diego State goals: Stacy Werner 4, Jenna Schuster 3, Anna Gonzales 2, Erinn Greenwood, Jamie Vessey
San Jose State goalie saves: Kendra Adama - 6
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 8