Feb. 5, 2010
SAN DIEGO - Playing its first regular season game in nearly a week, No. 8 San Diego State returned to the pool to defeat Marist, 15-5, in its home opener Friday afternoon at Aztec Aquaplex. The win ups SDSU's record to 4-1 on the year, while the Red Foxes fall to 0-1.
SDSU continued its strong play out of the gate by outscoring its opponent in the first quarter for the fourth time in five games this season. Amber Pezzolla led off the afternoon's scoring with a skip shot from eight meters just over two minutes into the game and was followed by Ashley de Goede's first goal of the year in her first game as an Aztec less than two minutes later. Marist responded with a Rachel Sunday goal to cut the San Diego State lead in half, but the Scarlet and Black answered with a pair of Melissa de Jonckheere goals and a Kimmy Keach skip shot to finish the first eight minutes with a 5-1 lead.
In the second quarter, the game practically came to an offensive standstill compared to the opening frame as only three total goals were scored. The Red Foxes got to within three goals after Samantha Swartz cashed in on a penalty shot, but Jenna Natalizio scored 15 seconds later on the ensuing possession to give SDSU a 6-2 lead. Then with under 15 seconds left in the half, Keach gave the home-standing Aztecs a 7-2 lead at halftime with her penalty-shot goal.
The defensive battle continued into the third quarter as both defenses were outstanding. San Diego State, however, was able to break through on a couple of occasions to increase its lead to 9-2. Leanne Ford scored her fifth goal of the season when she found the upper corner midway through the period and Meaghan Poland posted the team's ninth goal with under two minutes left as the game moved into the final eight minutes.
Poland continued her stellar play and posted her first multiple-goal effort of the year when she scored less than 30 seconds after the fourth-quarter sprint, but Marist responded with a goal of its own, making it 10-3 Aztecs. Despite allowing the Red Fox goal, SDSU received consecutive goals from Natalizio, Rachel Miller, Emily Whalen and Megahann Pedersen to blow the game open and give the Aztecs a 15-3 advantage. Then in the final minute, Marist added two more goals to provide the 10-goal margin.
For Natalizio, her three goals were a career high and the effort was her second multiple-goal outing of 2010. Keach, meanwhile, logged her third game with at least two goals and de Jonckheere enjoyed her first two-goal performance of the season.
Goalkeepers Kelly Campoli and Erin Abrams anchored a defensive unit that allowed a season-low five goals. On the stat sheet, Campoli was credited with five saves, while Abrams recorded one.
San Diego State will return to the pool on Saturday at 11:10 a.m. PT when it takes on Redlands in the opening game of the Triton Invitational at UC San Diego.
#8 San Diego State 15, Marist 5
Aztec Aquaplex (San Diego, Calif.)
Marist 1-1-0-3--5 San Diego State 5-2-2-6--15Marist goals: Rachel Sunday - 2, Samantha Swartz - 2, Kristen Barnett
San Diego State goals: Jenna Natalizio - 3, Melissa de Jonckheere - 2, Kimmy Keach - 2, Meaghan Poland - 2, Amber Pezzolla, Ashley de Goede, Leanne Ford, Rachel Miller, Emily Whalen, Meghann Pedersen
Marist saves: Jessica Getchius - 8
San Diego State saves: Kelly Campoli - 5, Erin Abrams - 1