April 26, 2009
HONOLULU, HI - The seventh-seeded San Diego State water polo defeated No. 8 seeded Arizona State on the final day of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Water Polo Championship at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex in Honolulu, HI. With the win, the Aztecs finished the tournament with a 1-2 record, while the Sun Devils finished 0-3.
Senior Anna Gonzales led the Aztecs with four goals, while classmate Erinn Greenwood tallied three scores of her own. Senior co-captain Jenna Schuster and junior Ronni Gautschi each found the back of the net twice, while sophomore Brooke Vessey added one goal. Freshman Kelly Campoli tallied 11 saves in the front of the net for the second consecutive game.
ASU got on the board first, but Greenwood would respond with her own goal at the 4:50 mark. Greenwood scored her second goal of the contest just over a minute later, and Gautschi and Schuster would follow suit to close out the quarter. San Diego State took a 4-1 lead after the first stanza.
Both teams scored three goals each in the second quarter as the Aztecs led 7-4 at the break. Gonzales netted her first goal in the first minute of the frame, while Greenwood completed her hat trick with 6:05 to play. Gonzales closed out first half scoring her second goal at the 2:25 mark. Arizona State's Addison McGrath, Kelly Phelps and Sam Schubert each scored goals to lead the Sun Devils.
San Diego State continued to lead after three quarters, but the Aztecs and the Sun Devils each traded goals in the quarter after intermission. Schuster opened up third quarter scoring, but ASU's Bonnie Miles scored just seconds after her. Greenwood answered Arizona State with 3:42 to play in the third, but once again the Sun Devils answered. Nikki Unbehaun tallied back-to-back goals, but SDSU found Vessey with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Sun Devils made a late charge in the fourth frame to cut the lead to one on back-to-back goals by Miles and McGrath. Gonzlaes connecter her fourth goal of the match on a five meter penalty shot with 2:50 to play, giving the Aztecs an 11-9 lead. ASU would give SDSU a scare with goals by Lynlee Smith and McGrath, but the goal by Gautschi with 1:29 to play would be enough for the Aztecs to hold on for the victory.
The Scarlet and Black improve to 23-11 on the season, while ASU falls to 13-15 overall in 2009.
(7) San Diego State 12, (8) Arizona State 11
Duke Kahanamoku Aquatics Complex - Honolulu, HI
April 26, 2009
Arizona State 1 3 3 4 - 11
San Diego State 4 3 3 2 - 12
Arizona State Goals -McGrath 4, Miles 2, Unbehaun 2, Phelps, Schubert, Smith.
San Diego State Goals - Gonzales 4, Greenwood 3, Gautschi 2, Schuster 2, Vessey.
Arizona State Goal Saves - Greenberg 9.
San Diego State Goal Saves - Campoli 11.