May 11, 2007
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - The San Diego State water polo team made its first NCAA Tournament appearance a memorable one as it claimed an 11-10 decision over Loyola Marymount in a first-round thriller Friday evening at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif. The sophomore duo of Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) and Jenna Schuster (Upland, Calif.) supplied the offensive punch, scoring four goals apiece to help the fourth-seeded Aztecs improve to 29-8 on the season, while the No. 5 seed Lions fall to 26-6 overall with the loss.
"This was a great and very hard-fought victory for our team," said SDSU head coach Carin Crawford. "We're very excited to get our first-ever NCAA Tournament win and to be able to play a great team in Stanford in the next round."
The Aztecs experienced some early jitters, falling into a 3-1 hole near the midway point of the first quarter. However, the Scarlet and Black regrouped on its ensuing possession thanks to Gonzales' second goal of the period, while a Schuster score during a 6-on-5 opportunity provided the equalizer at the 2:34 mark. Two minutes later, LMU regained the lead at 4-3 on a strike by Dora Szabolcsi.
The furious pace of the game slowed considerably as both defenses kept one another in check for over five minutes into the second stanza. Junior Becca Ur (Lompoc, Calif.) finally broke the offensive drought with a goal at 2:34, which knotted things up at 4-4. After the two teams traded scores, the Aztecs caught a break when Gonzales converted a penalty shot with one second remaining on the clock, giving SDSU its first lead at 6-5.
The Aztecs carried that momentum into the third quarter, outscoring the Lions, 3-1, during a five-minute span to open up a 9-6 advantage by the 2:56 mark. After Schuster notched her second power-play goal of the game, senior Stacy Werner (Lodi, Calif.) connected from long distance, followed by Gonzales' fourth tally of the evening. LMU finally responded with a score by Szabolcsi, narrowing the gap to 9-7 with 1:34 left in the period. Following a Lion ejection, Schuster delivered another crucial play, rebounding a Werner shot that hit the left post and flipping the ball past goalkeeper Kaylee Caster, which restored SDSU's three-goal advantage at 10-7 heading into the final frame.
The Lions quickly stole the Aztecs' thunder early in the fourth quarter, sandwiching two scores around Schuster's fourth strike of the game during the first three possessions of the period. After an SDSU turnover, Szabolcsi scored her fourth goal of the game on a 6-on-5 opportunity, tightening the score at 11-10 with 6:16 remaining in the game. The Aztec defense clamped down the rest of the way, however, snuffing out three LMU scoring chances in the final two minutes to preserve the win.
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif.) turned away 10 Lion shots in front of the net, including two at point-blank range in the second period. Werner also came up huge defensively with five steals, while dishing out three assists.
The NCAA Championships continue on Saturday, May 12, as San Diego State takes on top-seeded Stanford in a semifinal showdown, beginning at 5 p.m.
(4) SAN DIEGO STATE 11, (5) LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 10
NCAA Tournament--First Round
Joint Forces Training Base--Los Alamitos, Calif.
Loyola Marymount 4-1-2-3--10
San Diego State 3-3-4-1--11
Loyola Marymount goals: Dora Szabolcsi 4, Cara Colton 2, Nicole Hughes 2, Sarah Hamilton, Stacia Peterson
San Diego State goals: Anna Gonzales 4, Jenna Schuster 4, Danielle Pelke, Becca Ur, Stacy Werner
Loyola Marymount goalie saves: Kaylee Castor - 8
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 10