April 23, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
Complete Release in PDF Format
SDSU HOSTS MPSF CHAMPIONSHIPS; SET TO FACE PACIFIC IN OPENING ROUND
Fourth-ranked San Diego State (26-5 overall; 8-4 MPSF) earned the No. 4 seed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Women's Water Polo Championship and will square off against 13th-seeded Pacific in a first-round match-up on Thurday, April 24, at 10 a.m. (PDT). If SDSU prevails, it will play the winner of the Hawai'i/UC Santa Barbara game Friday at 3:50 p.m. If the Aztecs falter, however, they will play the loser of the same game at 10 a.m. All matches will be played at the Aztec Aquaplex on the San Diego State campus.
SDSU FALLS TO ARIZONA STATE IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE
Then No. 6 Arizona State upset fourth-ranked San Diego State, 10-7, in Tempe, Ariz., last Saturday (April 19) in the regular-season finale for both teams. The junior trio of Anna Gonzales, Erinn Greenwood and Jenna Schuster each scored two goals apiece, but it was not enough as the Sun Devils offense came alive on their senior day.
ASU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first eight minutes of play. The Aztecs were able to get on the scoreboard when Schuster found the back of the cage at the 7:36 mark of the second quarter. After senior Becca Ur notched another tally for the Scarlet and Black, Gonzales scored the final goal of the period to cut SDSU's deficit to two (5-3) at the half.
In the third frame, Arizona State matched the Aztecs' three tallies to maintain its two-goal lead at 8-6. It looked like an SDSU comeback was on the horizon when Gonzales opened the final period with a goal at the 6:02 mark, but the Sun Devils held the Scarlet and Black scoreless for the remainder of the game, hanging on for the 10-7 victory.
A LOOK AT PACIFIC
Pacific (4-25 overall, 0-12 MPSF) is the 13th seed in this week's MPSF tournament. The Tigers dropped a 14-5 non-league contest at 10th-ranked UC Davis Saturday (April 19) to close out the regular season. Senior Kellie Fletcher leads UOP with 70 goals (2.50/game), which also ranks second in the conference. Dara Tawarahara also finds herself among the league's scoring leaders at No. 21 with 47 tallies (1.62/game). Senior goalkeeper Jocelyn Gray has amassed 235 stops to finish eighth in the MPSF with a saves per game average of 8.39. Megan Thomson is in her second year at the helm of the Pacific women's water polo program.
SDSU leads in its all-time series with Pacific by a 21-0 count. This will mark the second meeting between the two teams this year. On March 14, the Aztecs topped the Tigers, 14-6, in San Diego.
OFFENSIVE PROWESS
San Diego State reached double-digit goals in 18 matches this year and notched at least 10 tallies in eight out of its last 14 regular-season 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 68 and 65 goals, respectively, while senior Becca Ur has recorded a team-best 42 assists. The Aztecs currently rank fifth in the MPSF and 20th in the nation with 9.90 goals per game. Individually, Schuster is third in the conference with 2.27 goals per game and Gonzales ranks fifth (2.17 g/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 four games this season, only allowing top-ranked UCLA, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 USC and No. 6 Arizona State to score in double figures. Heather Fenske has been superb in front of the cage, notching 265 saves, putting her fifth on the conference leaderboards. As a team, SDSU ranks seventh in the MPSF and 12th in the nation with a 7.26 goals allowed average.
COMEBACK KIDS
The Aztecs have proven on several occasions that when they are down, they're not out, as five of their victories were won in the final eight minutes. The Scarlet and Black posted a late rally to pin a 9-7 defeat on then No. 14-ranked Long Beach State on March 15. Trailing 6-5 after three periods, the Aztecs went on to outscore the 49ers 4-1 in the final stanza for the win.
SDSU also had a remarkable comeback at San Jose State (March 2). Down by two goals at the start of the fourth quarter, Greenwood eventually tied the game at eight before Gonzales tossed in the game-winner with just 36 seconds remaining. In addition, San Diego State has staged late rallies to defeat both UC Irvine and Arizona State at the UCI Invitational, while also coming from behind for a 10-9 victory over Loyola Marymount to claim the UC San Diego Triton Invitational.
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 265 shots in 30 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 played a pivotal role in the Aztecs' key MPSF wins over Long Beach State (13 saves), California (14 saves) and Hawai'i (11 saves).
SDSU SET TO HOST 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-ranked squads in the nation.
CRAWFORD IN CHARGE
Head coach Carin Crawford enters her 10th year at the helm of the San Diego State women's water polo team. In each of her nine seasons on Montezuma Mesa, the Scarlet and Black has never finished below 11th place in the final national rankings. Last year, Crawford led the Aztecs into the national spotlight with a fourth-place finish in SDSU's first-ever appearance at the NCAA championships. During her tenure, the Aztecs have garnered 15 All-America awards and have also claimed 15 all-MPSF accolades. In addition, Crawford's players have earned 31 all-MPSF and ACWPC all-academic honors.