Feb. 23, 2013
IRVINE, Calif. - Seventh-ranked San Diego State returned to the pool after a two-week layoff and split a pair of games on the first day of the UC Irvine Invitational. The Aztecs (9-4) defeated No. 13 UC Santa Barbara in their opening game, 11-6, before falling to No. 2 USC for the second time in four games, 17-5.
SDSU led 2-1 after the first eight minutes and both teams scored three times in the second quarter, which propelled the Aztecs to a narrow 5-4 lead at halftime.
In the second half, however, San Diego State pulled away with a dominating third-quarter effort. The Aztecs scored three times and held the Gauchos off the scoreboard to take an 8-4 lead. In the final frame, SDSU outscored UCSB, 3-2, to emerge with the five-goal victory.
Amber Pezzolla led all players with four goals and Emily Whalen joined her in the multiple-goal category with two of her own. Logging single tallies for San Diego State were Anique Hermann, Tori Long, Kelli Boling, Carina Carballo and Madeline Schwartz. Rachel Mitchell was strong in net, stopping a game-high eight shots.
In the second game of the day vs. the Women of Troy, San Diego State lost control of the contest in the deciding second quarter. The Aztecs fell behind 3-2 after one quarter, but were outpointed, 6-1, in the second and USC carried a 9-3 at intermission.
San Diego State then found itself down, 14-4, after three quarters and scored just a single goal in the fourth while allowing three. At the final horn, the Aztecs were on the wrong end of a 12-goal decision and watched their record fall to 9-4.
Boling, Pezzolla, Schwartz, Taelor Moreno and Juliana Matos each scored one goal apiece. In goal, Mitchell made six saves and Morgan Klingus stopped one shot.
SDSU returns to action on Sunday to conclude UCI Invitational competition. The Aztecs will face No. 8 Hawai'i at 9:15 a.m. PT and will play one game in the afternoon against either fourth-ranked California or No. 6 UCI at 1:30 p.m. or 2:45 p.m. PT.
No. 7 San Diego State 11, No. 13 UC Santa Barbara 6
UCSB 1-3-0-2--6
SDSU 2-3-3-3--11
UCSB goals: Porter 2, Haroldson, Martin, Hudson, Wentz Fitzgerald
SDSU goals: Pezzolla 4, Whalen 2, Hermann, Long, Boling, Carballo, Schwartz
UCSB saves: Milne 7
SDSU saves: Mitchell 8
No. 2 USC 17, No. 7 San Diego State 5
SDSU 2-1-1-1--5
USC 3-6-5-3--17
SDSU goals: Boling, Moreno, Pezzolla, Matos, Schwartz
USC goals: Appel 4, Daube 3, Silvers 2, Gilchrist 2, Vavic, Rosenthal, O'Donnell, Mendoza, McCall, Espar
SDSU saves: Mitchell 6, Klingfus 1
USC saves: Bolonyai 8, Hueso 1