May 12, 2007
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - The San Diego State water polo team had its hopes of a national championship derailed on Saturday as Stanford claimed a 13-4 victory over the Aztecs in an NCAA semifinal matchup at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif. With the loss, fourth-seeded SDSU drops to 29-9 overall, while the No. 1 seed Cardinal raises their record to 27-2 on the year.
"You saw why Stanford is seeded No. 1 in the tournament," said Aztec head coach Carin Crawford. "They have a very fast and efficient transition game and will exploit any mistake that you make."
After nearly three minutes of scoreless play, the Cardinal seized control, converting all five of its power-play opportunities in the first half en route to a 9-2 lead by intermission. Stanford also used a suffocating defense to completely neutralize the SDSU attack until senior Stacy Werner (Lodi, Calif.) finally dented the scoreboard with a pair of goals in the second quarter.
The second half brought no relief for the Aztecs, either, as the Cardinal completely shut down the SDSU offense over the next 15 minutes of play. Stanford added three straight scores of its own to build a 12-2 advantage by the 5:19 mark of the fourth quarter. Freshman Ronni Gautschi (Morgan Hill, Calif.) ended the scoreless stretch with a pair of tallies in the final minute of play. The Cardinal also tacked on a goal with 25 seconds left on the clock to account for the final outcome.
In front of the cage, senior goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore (Rossmoor, Calif.) made eight saves before giving way to junior Heather Fenske (Lompoc, Calif.), who made two stops in the fourth quarter. Stanford was paced by Katie Hansen's hat trick, while its defense kept sophomores Anna Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) and Jenna Schuster (Upland, Calif.) off the scoreboard after the Aztec tandem combined for eight goals against Loyola Marymount on Friday.
The NCAA Championships conclude on Sunday, May 13, as San Diego State lines up against USC in the third-place game, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Stanford will play for the national title against UCLA with a 5:30 p.m. opening sprint.
(1) STANFORD 13, (4) SAN DIEGO STATE 4
NCAA Tournament--Semifinals
Joint Forces Training Base--Los Alamitos, Calif.
San Diego State 0-2-0-2--4
Stanford 4-5-2-2--13
San Diego State goals: Ronni Gautschi 2, Stacy Werner 2
Stanford goals: Katie Hansen 3, Kelly Eaton 2, Jessica Steffens 2, Kelly Donohue, Christina Hewko, Kira Hillman, Kelsey Holshouser, Lauren Silver, Heather West
San Diego State goalie saves: Sarah Kilgore - 8, Heather Fenske - 2
Stanford goalie saves: Meredith McColl - 6, Kate Heddleston - 1