IRVINE, Calif. – Freshman Rose Kanemy scored twice to pace the San Diego State water polo team, but the No. 4 Stanford Cardinal took an early 5-0 lead and never let the Aztecs back into the game, going on to win 20-6 in both team's opening game of the 2022 Barbara Kalbus Invitational at the Anteater Aquatics Complex on the campus of UC Irvine.
In addition to Kanemy, SDSU (1-6) got individual tallies from Delaney Binette, Spencer Samuel, Sydney Hurst and Dayna Bond.
Down 5-0 in the first, Kanemy got the Aztecs on the board at the 2:08 mark. Stanford tacked on one more goal in the first and led 6-1 after eight minutes.
Stanford opened the second with four unanswered goals to increase its advantage to 10-1 midway through the second. Sydney Hurst got the Aztecs second goal at the 4:07 mark, but the Cardinal found the back of the net twice more and the teams went to the intermission with San Diego State trailing 12-2.
Coming out of halftime, Stanford scored in the first minute of the third quarter and Binette answered the goal with one of her own with 6:03 left in the period. Kanemy then got her second goal, at the 2:47 mark, but Stanford answered, and the teams went to the final quarter with the Cardinal holding a 14-4 lead.
After a goal by Stanford to open the final quarter, Bond scored to make it 15-5. The Cardinal then ran off three straight goals to push its lead to 18-5 with just over two and a half minutes to play. Samuel scored with 2:03 to play, and Stanford tacked on two more goals for the final score of 20-6.
Stanford had five players with multiple goals led by Christina Hicks and Ryann Neushul, who scored four goals each.
The Aztecs next opponent is No. 15 UC Santa Barbara which the Aztecs will play at 10:30 a.m. PT at the Marian Bergeson Aquatics Center at Corona del Mar High School in Irvine.
-SDSU-
No. 21 Aztecs Fall in Barbara Kalbus Invite Opener
