SAN DIEGO – In its first game in the Aztec Aquaplex since playing UC San Diego on April 20, 2019, the San Diego State water polo team took on the Tritons in SDSU's 2021 home opener, but the Aztecs came out on the short end of a 9-8 decision which went to sudden death.
Senior driver Karli Canale continues to enjoy the early portion of the season with her fourth multi-goal effort in as many games as well as her second hat trick of the season. Jessica Leckich, a junior driver, recorded her first multi-goal game of the year with two tallies. Senior utility Emily Bennett, Kendall Houck, a freshman utility, and junior driver Spencer Samuel each found the back of the cage once.
SDSU didn't get into the scoring column until Houck fired a strike at two minutes 23 seconds into the second period which brought the Aztecs to within a pair of goals at 3-1.
Over the succeeding 11:06 the teams went back and forth trading tallies.
UCSD (1-0) pushed its advantage back to three goals, 4-1, with 3:50 to play in the first half and a little over 39 seconds later Bennett struck to make it 4-2, which was the score at the half.
Twenty-six seconds into the third quarter, the Tritons again went up by three at 5-2, but they Canale scored twice, at the 4:45 mark and with 2:31 to play in the third to draw the Aztecs to within a goal at 5-4.
Leckich got the game level at 5-5 with 4:19 to play in regulation. UC San Diego went back in front 15 seconds later, but Leckich, with her second tally of the quarter, sent the game to overtime with the score 6-6.
In the first overtime period each team scored. Canale got her third of the game to put the Aztecs up 7-6, but UCSD responded with a goal in the last minute to extend the contest.
In the second overtime, Samuel gave SDSU the lead with 2:33 to play, but again UC San Diego got the equalizer, and the game went to sudden death.
UCSD's Grace Pevehouse scored her fourth goal of the game with 2:22 left in sudden death to give the Tritons the 9-8 win.
Zoe Morgan went the distance in goal and made a season-high 13 saves, while allowing nine goals.
Goalie Bennett Bugelli (1-0) made a game-high 15 saves and allowed eight goals for the Tritons.
The Aztecs (0-4) are right back into the pool on Saturday with a doubleheader against No. 4 UC Irvine. San Diego State and the Anteaters are scheduled to play at 1 and 3 p.m. PT. Live stats and streaming video for both games are available through the water polo schedule page at www.goaztecs.com.
No. 10 UC San Diego9, No. 16 San Diego State 8 (Sudden Death)
Aztec Aquaplex, San Diego, Calif.
UCSD: 3-1-1-1-1-1-1 -9
SDSU: 0-2-2-2-1-1-0 -8
UCSD Goals: Karli Canale (3), Jessica Leckich (2), Emily Bennett (1), Kendall Houck (1), Spencer Samuel (1)
SDSU Goals: Pevehouse (4), Boland (2), Franke (2), Richardson (1)
UCSD Saves: Zoe Morgan (13)
SDSU Saves: Bugelli (15)
-SDSU-
Aztecs & Tritons Go to Sudden Death In Home Opener
