April 12, 2008
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The No. 1-ranked UCLA women's water polo team proved to have too much offensive firepower for fifth-ranked San Diego State as the Bruins prevailed, 17-5, Saturday afternoon at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center. UCLA (25-0 overall; 11-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) pulled away with seven goals in the second quarter to remain undefeated on the season. The Aztecs, meanwhile, fall to 25-4 overall and 7-3 in the MPSF.
Junior Jenna Schuster and sophomore Ronni Gautschi each tallied a pair of goals, while junior Erin Lester also found the back of the cage in the loss. Senior goalkeeper Heather Fenske turned away five shots.
Katie Rulon led the Bruin attack with a game-high five goals and Gabrielle Domanic chipped in a hat trick. Brittany Fullen quieted the Aztec offense with 13 saves in between the posts.
UCLA jumped out to a 2-0 lead after just under two minutes of action. Schuster put the Aztecs on the board at the 4:55 mark, but the Bruins would score two more times to take a 4-1 advantage after the first eight minutes of play.
Rulon opened a seven-goal second period for UCLA when she converted a penalty shot 15 seconds into the quarter. Gautschi notched her first goal of the day with 1:10 remaining in the half, but the home team had already broken the game open, holding a comfortable 11-2 lead at intermission.
After being blanked in the third frame, SDSU was able to put away three goals in the final stanza, but the damage had already been done as the Aztecs suffered just their fourth overall and third conference loss of the season.
San Diego State will be back in action tomorrow when it takes on MPSF foe and 15th-ranked Cal State Northridge at Matador Pool. Opening sprint is scheduled for noon (PDT).
#1 UCLA 17, #5 SAN DIEGO STATE 5
Sunset Canyon Recreation Center - Los Angeles, Calif.
April 12, 2008
SDSU 1-1-0-3 -- 5
UCLA 4-7-3-3 -- 17
SDSU goals: Gautschi 2, Schuster 2, Lester.
UCLA goals: Rulon 5, Domanic 3, Burmeister 2, Belden, Rowe, Mathewson, Kraus, Gandy, Crowell, Nelson.
SDSU goalie saves: Fenske 5.
UCLA goalie saves: Fullen 13.