April 29, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - The fifth-seeded San Diego State water polo team wrapped up play at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship on Sunday with a 10-6 victory over No. 6 seed San Jose State in the fifth-place game at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe, Ariz. Sophomore Erinn Greenwood (Sanger, Calif.) led a balanced Aztec attack with three goals and added four assists, while fellow classmate Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) chipped in two scores of her own. With the win, SDSU completed the tournament with a 3-1 record, improving to 28-8 on the season, while the Spartans fall to 16-13 overall.
The Aztecs never trailed after Greenwood's second tally of the game during a 6-on-5 opportunity broke a 2-2 tie late in the first quarter. The Scarlet and Black then sandwiched two scores around a power play goal by SJSU's Juliet Moss to take 5-3 lead into intermission. Senior Elana Cervantes (Davis, Calif.) found the back of the net on San Diego State's opening possession of the second period, while Gonzales dented the scoreboard with 2:31 left in the half.
The Aztecs turned up the heat in the third quarter, outscoring the Spartans by a 3-1 margin to take control of the game. Greenwood got things rolling for SDSU with a strike at the 5:58 mark, while sophomore Jessica Pace (Santee, Calif.) hit pay dirt just over three minutes later. SJSU countered with a score shortly thereafter, but Gonzales connected on a buzzer-beater for her second goal of the day to give the Aztecs a comfortable 8-4 cushion heading into the final stanza.
The Spartans made things interesting in the fourth quarter as consecutive tallies by Angela Riddle and Alexis Higlett narrowed the gap to 8-6. However, Greenwood put to rest any notions of an SJSU comeback after converting a 6-on-5 opportunity with 4:48 remaining to complete her sixth hat trick of the season. The Aztecs kept their Northern California rival off the scoreboard the rest of the way, while freshman Danielle Pelke (Los Alamitos, Calif.) accounted for the final outcome on another power play chance with 32 seconds left on the clock.
On the defensive end of the pool, senior goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif.) blocked 10 Spartan shots in front of the net, while Pelke contributed seven steals.
SDSU, ranked fifth in the latest national poll, will await word of a possible at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament as the eight-team bracket will be announced on Monday, April 30, at 6 p.m. PT on College Sports Television (CSTV).
SAN DIEGO STATE 10, SAN JOSE STATE 6
MPSF Championship--Fifth Place Game
Mona Plummer Aquatic Center--Tempe, Ariz.
San Jose State 2-1-1-2--6
San Diego State 3-2-3-2--10
San Jose State goals: Geraldine Hazlett 2, Alexis Higlett 2, Juliet Moss, Angela Riddle
San Diego State goals: Erinn Greenwood 3, Anna Gonzales 2, Elana Cervantes, Jessica Pace, Danielle Pelke, Becca Ur, Stacy Werner
San Jose State goalie saves: Kendra Adama - 12
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 10