Feb. 8, 2014
SAN DIEGO - Eighth-ranked San Diego State was upset by No. 20 Santa Clara in overtime, 9-8, in its opening game of the UCSD Triton Invitational Saturday morning. The loss snapped SDSU's four-game winning streak and dropped it to 4-1. The Broncos, meanwhile, improved to 3-1.
Both teams started slow with no one finding the back of the net for the first five-plus minutes. SCU's Elizabeth Anderson, meanwhile, put an end to the scoreless draw when she scored with 2:36 left in the first quarter. SDSU evened the ledger when Nikole Ferrari put her shot past June Afshar with 21 ticks left on the clock.
The Aztecs created separation in the second quarter with three goals to move ahead, 4-1. Alyssa Diacono broke the tie and was followed in succession by Carina Carballo and Anique Hermann as the game moved to halftime.
Santa Clara, however, returned the favor in the third period with three goals of its own, all while blanking SDSU in the frame. Julia Peters, Kaitlin Murphy and Erin Sheridan each posted one goal to help knot the scored at 4-4 heading into the final quarter.
The scoring picked up as time ticked off the clock beginning with Ioli Benekou's goal 1:33 into the quarter. Later, Taelor Moreno gave SDSU a two-goal cushion, only to have SCU's Elizabeth Anderson make it a one-goal game 16 seconds after Moreno rattled the cage. Moreno put San Diego State ahead by two again, but the Broncos closed the gap and eventually tied it with two unanswered goals, the last of which happened with 53 seconds left to force overtime.
In the first extra session, Ferrari put SDSU up by one with 54 seconds left, but like it had all game, Santa Clara responded with an equalizer 12 seconds later. After the teams switched ends, Anderson notched what would be the game-winner with 2:32 left and the Aztecs were dealt their first loss of the year.
San Diego State will now face No. 19 Hartwick for the second time in three days at 4 p.m. PT, at UCSD's Canyonview Pool.
No. 20 Santa Clara 9, No. 8 San Diego State 8 (OT)
Canyonview Pool; San Diego, Calif.
SCU 1-0-3-3--1-1---9
SDSU 1-3-0-3--1-0---8
SCU goals: Elizabeth Anderson 3, Kaitlin Murphy 3, Julia Peters, Erin Sheridan, Elle Surber
SDSU goals: Nikole Ferrari 2, Taelor Moreno 2, Ioli Benekou, Carina Carballo, Alyssa Diacono, Anique Hermann
SCU saves: Unavailable
SDSU saves: Unavailable