STOCKTON, Calif. – The San Diego State water polo team was riding the wave of a season-long five game win streak, but on Saturday in the championship game of the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) tournament, the 1-seed and No. 11 ranked Fresno State Bulldogs used a second and third quarter scoring blitz to halt the Aztecs streak and snatch the victory, 14-10, at Chris Kjedlsen Pool.
Senior utility Emily Bennett, who scored six goals in two games, and junior goalie Raquel de Pinho, who totaled 17 saves in the championship, were named to the All-Tournament team following the game.
The game marked the fifth time the Aztecs have played for the GCC crown since the program joined the league in 2014, but SDSU is now 1-4 in those contests, having won the title in 2016, but falling in 2014, 2015, 2017 and now 2021.
Fresno State came into the game averaging nearly 17 goals a game in its last eight outings, so it figured that if 2-seed San Diego State was going to be successful, it was going to have to play a game dominated by defense and in the first quarter that is exactly was it was.
Bennett wasted no time scoring 49 second into the game and giving SDSU a 1-0 lead. Fresno State's Claire Schade, who would be named the tournament MVP after the game, answered at the 3:43 mark and the Bulldogs went up a goal with 2:30 to go in the first. Karli Canale tied it up 27 second later, at 2:03, and the game went to the second quarter tied 2-2.
The second and third quarters proved to be the turning point. Fresno State's offense got on track and outscored the Aztecs 9-3.
The Bulldogs scored four unanswered goals, at 7:36, 6:49, 3:55 and 0:50, in the second quarter to open up a 6-2 lead. Katie Ratcliff ended the run with 34 seconds left before the intermission to send the game to the half with the Aztecs facing a three-goal deficit, 6-3.
Fresno State took the sprint to open the third and again reeled off four straight goals, at the 7:45, 6:34, 6:05 and 4:57. Haley Hagerty scored on a power play goal at 4:30 to halt the Bulldogs spurt and Spencer Samuel followed that goal with one of her own to make it 10-5 with 3:24 to go in the quarter. Fresno State answered with a goal at 3:11 to make it 11-5 heading into the fourth period.
The teams traded goals to open the final stanza. Each team scored three times with the Bulldogs starting the run with a goal at 5:34. Laurene Padilla answered with a strike 23 seconds later, and 18 seconds after Padilla's strike, Fresno State scored again. Ratcliff found the back of the cage at 4:38 and 50 second later the Bulldogs got its 14th goal of the game to make it 14-7. Bennett picked up her second goal of the game at 3:37 and Jessica Leckich scored on a penalty shot at 2:06 to draw SDSU to within five at 14-9. Ratcliff capped the scoring and picked up her third goal of the game on a power play with 51 seconds to go. The tally made the score 14-10, which would be the score when the final whistle blew.
The Bulldogs, with the victory, earn the conference's automatic bid to next month's NCAA Championship.
San Diego State: 2-1-2-5 - 10
Fresno State: 2-4-5-3 - 14
San Diego State Goals: Ratcliff (3), Bennett (2), Canale (1), Hagerty (1), Leckich (1), Padilla (1), Samuel (1)
Fresno State Goals: Nicholson (4), Schade (3), Rosa (2), Jagielski (2), Diacono (1), Guevremont (1), Woodruff (1)
San Diego State: de Pinho (9)
Fresno State Saves: Stokes (12)
THE NOTE
Katie Ratcliff scored the first three goals and picked up her first hat trick as a collegiate player.
-SDSU-
No. T-13 Aztecs Come Up Short In GCC Title Game
