March 14, 2009
BERKELEY, Calif. - The No. 5 San Diego State water polo team was upset by seventh-ranked California, 13-11, on Saturday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Complex. With the loss, the Aztecs fall to 16-4 overall and 0-2 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation while the Golden Bears improve to 20-4 overall and an even 2-2 in MPSF.
The Bears got on the board first, with a 3-0 scoring run to start the first period. Cal's first goal came 45 seconds into the game when junior Remy Champion scored off of a steal. Champion scored 44 seconds later with a lob shot. Senior defender Paige Lorenz put one through a timeout. The Aztecs got their first goal of the game from senior co-captain Jenna Schuster on a six-on-five advantage. SDSU scored again to close the first quarter off a goal from junior Melissa de Jonckheere, putting the Aztecs within one.
Cal began the second stanza with another run against the Aztecs. Lorenz kicked off a 4-0 run for the Bears with a skip shot at 7:07. After SDSU goalkeeper Kelly Campoli blocked a shot by Cal's freshman Libby McLaren, freshman Emily Csikos got the rebound and put it through for a goal. Redshirt junior Stephanie Schnugg scored back-to-back goals in the second quarter before the Aztecs could answer. San Diego State scored its first goal of the second period when senior Erinn Greenwood recovered an Aztec bar shot to put the Scarlet and Black within four. Schnugg scored with two minutes to play to distance Cal, 8-3. SDSU and junior co-captain Danielle Pelke responded with a bar in shot from 10 meters outside the cage. De Jonckheere closed the half with a skip shot that went past Cal keeper Stephanie Peckham, closing the gap to 8-5 at the half.
It took two minutes before either team scored in the third quarter, at which point junior Camille Hewko scored to bring the score to 9-5 in favor of the Bears. SDSU's senior Erin Lester had a powerful shot that went past the goalie and senior Anna Gonzales took a five-meter penalty shot for the Aztecs to bring them closer to the Bears, 9-7. Shuster drew the goalie out of the cage to score with 14 seconds to play in the third period. With just 2.38 seconds remaining on the clock, Schnugg again scored, giving Cal the one-goal advantage.
For the fourth and final period, the Bears again scored first on a five-meter shot from Corso. The Aztecs responded shortly thereafter with a powerful shot from Gonzales with 6:49 to play. Csikos scored with 6:11 to play, to bring the score to 12-9. San Diego State scared would connect with two consecutive goals to bring the Aztecs within one. Freshman Leanne Ford scored back-to-back goals - one off a shot to the left side at 4:46 and another at 3:05 on a five-meter penalty shot. Cal would put up the final goal of the game with a five-meter shot by Csikos.
San Diego State returns to the pool Sunday for a matchup against No. 12 UC Davis. Game time is slated to begin at noon PT at Schaal Aquatics Center.
No. 7 California 13, No. 5 San Diego State 11
March 14, 2009
Spieker Aquatics Complex - Berkeley, Calif.
No. 5 SDSU 2-3-3-3--11
No. 7 Cal 3-5-2-3--13
SDSU goals: de Jonckheere 2, Ford 2, Gonzales 2, Schuster 2, Greenwood, Lester, Pelke.
Cal goals: Schnugg 4, Csikos 3, Champion 2, Lorenz 2, Corso, Hewko.
SDSU saves: Kelly Campoli 6
Cal saves: Stephanie Peckham 10