April 27, 2013
IRVINE, Calif. - Third-seeded San Diego State dropped a 7-5 decision to second-seeded UC Irvine in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament on Saturday. With the loss, the Aztecs fall to 23-10 on the year and will face Long Beach State on Sunday in the third-place game.
SDSU made things interesting late in the fourth quarter and cut its deficit to one after Anique Hermann drew a penalty on UCI's Cambria Shockley with 1:58 left in the game and Amber Pezzolla converted the attempt. The Aztecs, however, could not find the back of the net on its next trip down and UC Irvine's Hannah Croghan scored with 53 seconds left to put the game out of reach.
San Diego State started the game off on the right foot Emily Whalen found the upper left corner less than a minute into the game. UCI answered 1 minute, 16 seconds later to even the score and soon the tilt became a defensive showcase. The score looked like it would be tied at 1-1 heading into the second frame, but Croghan tallied her first of the game with 18 seconds left and the Anteaters on a power play.
The outstanding defensive effort by both teams carried over into the second quarter as neither team scored for nearly six minutes. UC Irvine changed that with 2:09 left as McKenna Mitchell dented the scoreboard to lift the `Eaters to a 3-1 lead. Taelor Moreno countered with a vicious skip shot that found the lower right corner on the very next possession, but UCI took full advantage of a 6-on-4 opportunity and went into the mid-game break ahead, 4-2.
In the third quarter, both teams were forcing turnovers and the action went back and forth. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, they allowed Mitchell to score with just under two minutes left. But like it had all day, SDSU kept within striking distance as Pezzolla notched a power-play goal with 56 ticks left on the third-quarter clock.
Trailing 5-3 heading into the final eight minutes, San Diego State allowed an early power-play goal, but answered with an Alex Ford score with 5:44 left, which ultimately set up the aforementioned final two deciding minutes.
The Aztecs will face a 49er team on Sunday that they beat twice this season. Both games, however, were decided by one goal apiece. SDSU beat LBSU in overtime, 7-6, at the Triton Invitational before winning 6-5 in the conference game played at Aztec Aquaplex. Game time for the third-place game is set for 2:30 p.m. PT at Anteater Aquatics Complex. The contest will be streamed live via BigWest.TV.
(2) UC Irvine 7, (3) San Diego State 5
Anteater Aquatics Complex; Irvine, Calif.
SDSU 1-1-1-2--5
UCI 2-2-1-2--7
SDSU goals: Pezzolla 2, Moreno, Whalen, Ford
UCI goals: Pierandozzi 2, Mitchell 2, Klatt, Stewart, Croghan