April 27, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - Sophomore Jenna Schuster (Upland, Calif.) scored a career-high seven goals on Friday, but it wasn't enough as the fifth-seeded San Diego State water polo team dropped a 19-12 decision to No. 4 seed Hawai'i in a high-scoring affair during the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship in Tempe, Ariz. The Aztecs (26-8) were unable to recover from a wobbly start as the Rainbow Wahine (17-8) exploded for 12 scores in the second half to put the game out of reach.
SDSU was forced to play catch-up for most of the game after falling behind by a 5-1 margin in the first quarter. The Aztecs mounted a rally midway through the second period on a penalty shot from senior Stacy Werner (Lodi, Calif.), while sophomore Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) cashed in on a power play opportunity, pulling the Scarlet and Black to within 5-3 at the 4:06 mark. Shortly thereafter, Hawai'i tallied a 6-on-5 score of its own, but sophomore Erinn Greenwood (Sanger, Calif.) responded with a strike on SDSU's next possession, narrowing the gap to 6-4. The Rainbow Wahine then tacked on a goal with 2:06 remaining in the half to forge a 7-4 advantage by intermission.
Hawai'i wasted no time getting on the board in the third quarter as Kelly Mason found the back of the net just 30 seconds after the opening sprint. The Aztecs countered with consecutive scores by Schuster, trimming the deficit to 8-6 at the 6:09 mark. However, SDSU would get no closer as the Wahine reeled off four straight goals to take control of the match. Despite two additional tallies by Schuster toward the end of the period, the Scarlet and Black still trailed, 13-8, heading into the final frame.
Werner's second score of the contest with 42 seconds elapsed in the fourth quarter gave the Aztecs a glimmer of hope, but Hawai'i unleashed another four-goal barrage to open up a commanding 17-9 lead by the 3:39 mark. The two teams traded a pair of scores during the remaining time until Schuster's seventh goal accounted for the final outcome with 31 seconds left on the clock, which tied Amber Prestegard for the second-highest scoring output by an Aztec in a single game.
The MPSF Championship continues on Saturday as San Diego State takes on ninth-seeded UC Irvine in the consolation bracket, beginning at 11:40 a.m. If the Aztecs defeat the Anteaters, they will play the winner of the San Jose State-Long Beach State contest on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. If SDSU falters, it will face the loser of the Spartans-49ers clash at 11:40 a.m. that same day.
HAWAI'I 19, SAN DIEGO STATE 12
MPSF Championship--Quarterfinal Round
Mona Plummer Aquatic Center--Tempe, Ariz.
San Diego State 1-3-4-4--12
Hawai'i 5-2-6-6--19
San Diego State goals: Jenna Schuster 7, Erinn Greenwood 2, Stacy Werner 2, Anna Gonzales
Hawai'i goals: Angela Turnbull 5, Kristy Bagnall 4, Kelly Mason 4, Lisa van Raalte 3, Anna Sieprath 2, Emily Cox
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 3
Hawai'i goalie saves: Meike de Nooy - 8