March 20, 2011
SAN DIEGO - The SDSU water polo team continued its recent streak of dominance on Sunday afternoon, overpowering the Whittier Poets in a 14-2 victory at the Aztec Aquaplex. The victory extends SDSU's current win streak to three games and gives the Aztecs a 14-9 season record.
Following a Jenna Natalizio goal halfway through the first quarter, Meaghan Poland blew the game open with a three-goal offensive outburst in a span of 2:20. The junior utility from Wildomar, Calif., had five goals in the game, giving her 32 on the season. Whittier would then jump on the board with a Samantha McCord penalty shot with just ticks remaining in the first quarter of action, cutting the Aztec lead to four.
The second quarter proved to be more of the same for the Aztecs, as goals from Natalizio and Poland gave SDSU a nearly insurmountable six-goal lead.
Following the break, senior utility Ashley de Goede put on an offensive performance of her own, scoring a hat trick in a span of just 2:38. Goals by Rachel Miller and Poland would give SDSU a 12-1 lead entering the last quarter of action.
In the fourth, Kimmy Keach scored her second goal of the game midway through the quarter just before the shot clock expired, and Samantha Voigt went coast-to-coast following a steal to give the Aztecs a 14-1 lead. San Diego-native Katrina Thoreson then gave the Poets their second goal of the game on a penalty shot with 2:20 to go, closing out the game's scoring. The Aztecs would go on to win 14-2, making it their second win of the day.
SDSU goalkeeper Erin Abrams earned the victory in her first complete game of the season. Abrams now has 17 saves this year in just six quarters of action.
The Aztecs will next head to Oahu, Hawaii for a full weekend of events. SDSU will first face off with No. 4 Hawaii on March 24, then the Aztecs will participate in the two-day Hawai'i Invitational, taking place March 25-26.
No. 9 San Diego State 14, Whittier 2
Aztec Aquaplex - San Diego, Calif.
WHIT 1-0-0-1--2
SDSU 5-2-5-2--14
WHIT goals: Samantha McCord, Katrina Thoreson
SDSU goals: Meaghan Poland 5, Ashley de Goede 3, Kimmy Keach 2, Jenna Natalizio 2, Rachel Miller, Samantha Voigt
WHIT saves: Mattie Winkler - 4
SDSU saves: Erin Abrams - 12