April 28, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - Senior Stacy Werner (Lodi, Calif.) nailed the game-winning shot with 46 seconds left in the second overtime period on Saturday to lift the fifth-seeded San Diego State water polo team to a 10-9 come-from-behind victory over No. 9 seed UC Irvine during the consolation bracket of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship in Tempe, Ariz. Werner finished with three goals on the day, her ninth hat trick of the season, while sophomore Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) and freshman Danielle Pelke (Los Alamitos, Calif.) added two scores apiece to help the Aztecs improve to 27-8 overall. Meanwhile with the loss, the Anteaters fall to 18-13 on the year.
SDSU's offense was frustrated throughout most of the first quarter as UC Irvine grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by Jackie Prine and Gianna Rossi. With time winding down in the period, Werner finally got the Aztecs on track with a pair of tallies to knot the score at 2-2.
The game continued at a sluggish pace well into the second frame as both teams misfired on power play chances. Sophomore Jenna Schuster ended the drought with her 79th goal of the season, putting the Scarlet and Black out in front by a 3-2 count at the 3:21 mark. The lead was short-lived however, as the Anteaters quickly converted a 6-on-5 opportunity on its ensuing possession. UCI tacked on a goal shortly thereafter to build a 4-3 advantage by intermission.
San Diego State regained the upper hand early in the third period as Pelke and sophomore Jessica Pace (Santee, Calif.) each found the back of the net less than a minute apart. Following an Anteater score, the Aztecs were seemingly in control after consecutive strikes by Gonzales and Pelke gave SDSU a 7-5 cushion heading into the final stanza.
However, UCI would not go quietly as it methodically chipped away at the Aztecs' lead in the fourth quarter, scoring three straight goals to pull ahead, 8-7, by the 2:47 mark. With just over a minute and-a-half left in regulation, sophomore Erinn Greenwood (Sanger, Calif.) got the equalizer to send the game into overtime.
After both teams traded scores in the first session, Werner rifled a shot from the 7-meter mark with time running down in the second extra stanza to provide the winning margin.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif.) turned away 11 Anteater shots in front of the cage, while Schuster's second-period goal extended her scoring streak to 27 games.
The MPSF Championship concludes on Sunday as San Diego State takes on No. 6 seed San Jose State in the fifth-place game, beginning at 1 p.m.
SAN DIEGO STATE 10, UC IRVINE 9 (OT)
MPSF Championship--Consolation Bracket
Mona Plummer Aquatic Center--Tempe, Ariz.
UC Irvine 2-2-1-3-1-0--9
San Diego State 2-1-4-1-1-1--10
UC Irvine goals: Julia Fancher 2, Robyn Kaake 2, Nikki Frish, Kat Plummer, Jackie Prine, Gianna Rossi
San Diego State goals: Stacy Werner 3, Anna Gonzales 2, Danielle Pelke 2, Erinn Greenwood, Jessica Pace, Jenna Schuster
UC Irvine goalie saves: Lauren Machanis - 17
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 11