SAN DIEGO – After nearly a year, the San Diego State water polo team returns to action in its opening weekend of competition in the 2021 season. The Aztecs begin the campaign with three games, two on Saturday and one on Sunday, at Arizona State.
This Week
Saturday, February 13
No. 17 San Diego State at No. 6 Arizona State – 9:30 a.m. MT & 1:45 p.m. MT
Sunday, February 14
No. 17 San Diego State at No. 6 Arizona State – 10 a.m. MT
Streaming video and live stat links are on the Water Polo schedule page at www.goaztecs.com.
Storylines
-No. 17 San Diego State opens the 2021 season this weekend at No. 5 Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. The Aztecs play a doubleheader on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. & 1:45 p.m. MT and then wrap up the three-game set on Sunday at 10 a.m. MT. The games will be live streamed and a link to each stream, as well as live stats, is on the Aztecs water polo schedule page.
-The Aztecs were picked to finish fourth in the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) preseason coaches' poll last year. However, when competition was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic (March 12, 2020), San Diego State was 3-0 in league competition, and in first place, and overall, 9-9 on the year.
-San Diego State finds itself ranked No. 17 in the national preseason poll, amassing 37 votes. They finished last season ranked No. 16 in the nation.
-The Aztecs open their 27th season of competition, the 23rd under the direction of head coach Carin Crawford. San Diego State is 545-340 (.616) all-time and 443-284 (.609) with Crawford at the helm.
-SDSU is looking to win its season opener for the fourth time in the last five years. Last season San Diego State was edged by No. 15 Long Beach State 10-9 at the Beach Invitational in Long Beach, Calif.
-The Aztecs are 19-7 all-time in the first game of the season and 16-6 with Crawford as head coach. Although this is not that situation, under Crawford, San Diego State is a perfect 15-0 in season openers when the Aztecs are the higher ranked team.
-San Diego State trails the all-time series with Arizona State 12-14. The last time the teams played came in the 2019 season in Tempe. ASU came away with a 6-4 win.
-In games played at Arizona State, the Sun Devils lead the series 6-2. The series began in 2004 with a 9-4 neutral site victory for the Aztecs and in the first meeting in the ASU pool, San Diego State won 6-5 (March 27, 2004). However, from there, Arizona State won six of the next seven meetings. SDSU's lone win came sandwiched in the middle of a pair of three game win streaks for the Sun Devils.
-The Aztecs' first official home contests are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 20 with a pair of games against UC Irvine, currently ranked No. 4 in the College Water Polo Association's poll.
-Ready to lead the Aztecs in 2021 is senior Emily Bennett. The utility has 125 career goals, including 31 in 17 games last season, which led the team. The Oakdale, Calif. product tied for the team lead in assists (20) and ranked second in steals (29), and shots (65). Following the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 season, she earned her second Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) honorable-mention All-America honor, GCC All-Academic Team and ACWPC All-Academic Superior Team status.
-Karli Canale returns for her senior campaign after leading the team in shots (73) and ranking second in goals (25) and fourth in steals (17) last season. She was second on the team in multi-goal games (7) and third in multi-assist (3) and multi-steal games (6). In addition, she led the team with five hat tricks. Canale was the GCC Player of the Week on March 12, 2020, the last weekly award from the league last season.
-San Diego State welcomes nine newcomers, including junior goalie Raquel de Pinho who was a two-time All-American at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif. While at West Valley she twice earned All-Nor-Cal honors and last year was Coast Conference MVP, first-team All-Coast Conference and Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, as well as the West Valley College Female Athlete of the Year honors. She started each of the team's 32 games and posted a 25-7 mark including a 11-0 record in Coast Conference action. The Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native led the team to a third-place finish in the state tournament while allowing 159 goals and making 305 saves for a .657 save percentage in 119 quarters. In addition, she led the team with 85 assists and contributed four goals.
- Overall, the Aztecs feature a roster that has eight freshmen, four sophomores, eight juniors and seven seniors.