April 10, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
Complete Release in PDF Format
NO. 5 SDSU WATER POLO HEADS TO UCLA, CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
The fifth-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team (25-3 overall; 7-2 MPSF) will make the drive north this weekend as it continues a tough Mountain Pacific Sports Federation slate at UCLA and Cal State Northridge. The Aztecs will take on the top-ranked Bruins, Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m. PDT, before battling the No. 15-ranked Matadors at 3 p.m. PDT on Sunday (April 13).
AZTECS UPSET NO. 4 HAWAI'I ON SENIOR DAY
Bolstered by a four-goal third period, San Diego State sent its seniors off with a 10-7 upset win over fourth-ranked Hawai'i on Tuesday, April 8. Senior Becca Ur sparked the offense with a season-best five assists, including three to junior Jenna Schuster, who finished the day with a game-high four goals. Sophomores Ronni Gautschi and Danielle Pelke each added a pair of tallies, while juniors Anna Gonzales and Erinn Greenwood also found the back of the cage. Senior goalkeeper Heather Fenske had a huge game, blocking a pair of penalty shots and racking up 11 total stops.
After a tightly played first half, the Scarlet and Black took a narrow 5-3 lead into the break. But it was all Aztecs in the third period as they broke the game open with four goals. Holding a comfortable 9-4 advantage before the final stanza, SDSU was able to hold off a late surge by the Rainbow Wahine for the 10-7 victory.
SDSU KEEPS HARPER CUP FOR SEVENTH STRAIGHT YEAR
San Diego State swept its non-conference doubleheader Saturday (April 5) afternoon at Canyonview Pool on the UC San Diego campus. The Aztecs began the day with a 12-2 triumph over Division III foe Chapman University, before edging the 19th-ranked Tritons, 6-5, to claim their seventh straight Harper Cup victory.
In the opener, Schuster led nine Aztec scorers with a game-high four goals, while Kierstin Hill and Ashley Novack chipped in with their first tallies of the season. SDSU came out of the gates firing to take an early 6-0 lead. After the Panthers dented the scoreboard late in the second period, the Aztecs scored six unanswered en route to the 12-2 victory.
The Scarlet and Black capped the day off with a close 6-5 win over UCSD in the seventh-annual Harper Cup. Gonzales paced the Aztec offense with a hat trick, earning her the game's most valuable player honors. Schuster also notched a pair of tallies, while Ronni Gautschi added a goal of her own. SDSU was in control early with a 4-1 advantage at the half. The Tritons started to climb back, however, pulling within one (5-4) before Gonzales tossed in the clinching goal with 7:34 to play.
SCOUTING UCLA
After victories over California and Pacific last weekend, UCLA (24-0 overall; 10-0 MPSF) has now won 32 consecutive games dating back to the 2007 season, with its last loss coming on April 14, 2007, when it fell at Stanford, 7-6. The three-time defending national champion Bruins are led by Jillian Kraus and Katie Rulon, who have amassed 47 and 46 goals respectively. Brittany Fullen has been dominant in front of the cage, posting a 4.92 goals against average and 176 saves. UCLA is tops in the MPSF in both offensive production (12.46 goals/game) and in defense (5.08 goals allowed/game). Adam Krikorian is in his 10th year at the helm of the Bruin women's water polo program and boasts an impressive 252-38 record in nine full seasons.
A LOOK AT CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
Cal State Northridge (10-5 overall; 1-8 MPSF) is coming off a pair of losses from last weekend. The Matadors dropped a 13-4 decision to No. 2 Stanford before falling to ninth-ranked San Jose State, 14-6. CSUN is led by Allison Brookes, who has totaled 36 goals on the season. Jillian Stapf has been a mainstay in between the posts for the Matadors, recording 201 blocks to rank fifth in the conference with an 8.74 saves/game average. As a team, Northridge is 13th in the MPSF with 7.16 goals/game and 11th with 8.72 goals allowed/game. Molly Barnes is in her seventh year as the Matadors' head coach.
OFFENSIVE PROWESS
San Diego State has reached double-digit goals in 17 matches this year and has notched at least 10 tallies in five out of its last eight contests. Earlier in the year, the Aztecs put together a string of six consecutive double-figure scoring games (Feb. 10-17). The junior duo of Schuster and Gonzales lead the Scarlet and Black with 61 and 58 goals, respectively, while senior Becca Ur has recorded a team-best 39 assists. The Aztecs currently rank fifth in the MPSF and 17th in the nation with 10.00 goals per game.
ON THE DEFENSIVE END
The Aztecs have also posted impressive numbers on the defensive end. SDSU has held its opponents to under 10 goals in all but two games this season, only allowing second-ranked Stanford and No. 3 USC to score in double-figures. Gonzales leads the Aztec field players with 38 steals, while Fenske has been superb in front of the cage, notching 245 saves. SDSU currently ranks fifth in the MPSF and seventh in the nation with its 6.78 goals allowed average.
FENSKE ON FIRE
Senior Heather Fenske has waited three years for her chance to take on a starting role and now that she is the Aztecs' primary goalkeeper, the Lompoc, Calif., native is making the most of the opportunity. After notching 75 saves in her first three seasons on The Mesa, Fenske has turned away 245 shots in 27 games played in 2008. She has 12 double-digit save games under her belt, including a career-high 16 stops against Cal State Bakersfield (March 16). Fenske also came up big in the Aztecs' MPSF wins over Long Beach State (13), Cal (14) and Hawai'i (11).
AMONG THE LEADERS
As of April 7, Gonzales and Schuster are tied for fourth in the MPSF and 17th in the nation with a 2.19 goals per game average. Fenske, meanwhile, remained at No. 4 among the conference's goalkeepers, and is ninth in the nation, averaging 9.00 saves per game.
SDSU TO HOST 2008 MPSF WOMEN'S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP
San Diego State is set to host this year's MPSF women's water polo championship, April 24-27, at the Aztec Aquaplex. The Aquaplex, which opened in March 2007, is a 112,000 square-foot complex that features an Olympic-sized pool measuring 51 meters by 25 meters, with a one-meter movable bulkhead. The annual tournament will boast a 13-team field which includes nine of the top 10 squads in the nation.
UP NEXT
San Diego State will conclude its regular season in Tempe, Ariz., when it takes on No. 7 Arizona State in an MPSF showdown at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center on Saturday, April 19. Opening sprint is slated for noon PT.