SAN JOSE, Calif. – Sammi Byers scored a game-high four times in what was a back-and-forth game between the No. 23-ranked San Diego State water polo team and No. 17 San Jose State Spartans on Sunday afternoon at SRAC Pool on the SJSU Campus. The game was tied six times and had three lead changes with neither team able to build more than a two-goal lead, but the Aztecs came out on the short end of a 10-9 decision.
Joining Byers in the scoring column was Rose Kanemy with a pair of goals. Luna Sarmiento, Mimi Stoupas and Claudia Valdes each banged the back of the net once. Sydney Gish, along with Kanemy had two assists, while Lucy Bullock, Sofia Righetti, Stoupas and Valdes assisted on a goal each. Tiaare Ahovelo (2-5) played all 32 minutes in goal making seven saves but allowing 10 into her net.
Valdes opened the game’s scoring with a penalty shot at 6:32 in the first quarter to make it 1-0 Aztecs. The Spartans responded with a goal 28 seconds later and another at the 3:56 mark to give SJSU a 2-1 advantage. Twenty seconds after SJSU moved in front, Byers picked up the first of her four tallies to knot it at 2-2, with Kanemy assisting on the score. Byers, on an assist from Stoupas, scored again with 1:33 left in the opening stanza to put the Aztecs back in front 3-2, which was the score heading into the second quarter.
It took 3:39 into the second period before the Spartans tied the game, 3-3, on a power play, but just 17 seconds later, on the other side of the pool, Sarmiento gave San Diego State the lead back 4-3 with 4:04 to play before the half. Kanemy got her second assist of the day on the strike. San Jose State came back to score on the power play with 3:38 on the clock to even it up at 4-4. With an assist by Valdes, the final tally of the half came from the arm of Kanemy, who got the lead back for SDSU with 2:01 to go and the teams went into the intermission with the Scarlet and Black up a goal, 5-4.
Coming out of the break, Stoupas made it 6-4 just 18 seconds into the third. Gish was credited with an assist on Stoupas’ strike, but the Spartans got the goal back on a power play at the 7:02 mark, tied it on another power play, this one with 6:37 to play, and then took the lead with 6:23 on the third quarter clock. Byers got one of the goals back at the 3:41 mark, her third tally of the game. Gish picked up the assist and the game was knotted at 7-7. However, San Jose State got the last goal of the period, and the game went to the final eight minutes with the Aztecs trailing 7-8.
In the fourth quarter each team scored twice. The Spartans pushed their advantage to two-goals, 9-7, on a penalty shot with 5:06 left in regulation. Byers’ fourth strike got it back to a one-goal game again at the 4:41 mark, with Righetti credited with an assist. The game went back to a two-goal advantage for SJSU with 2:07 to go. Bullock assisted on the final tally of the game, a Kanemy goal with 31 seconds on the clock. From there, the Spartans were able to run out the clock for the 10-9 decision.
San Diego State: 3-2-2-2 - 9
San Jose State: 2-2-4-2 - 10
San Diego State Goals: Byers (4), Kanemy (2), Sarmiento (1), Stoupas (1), Valdes (1)
San Jose State Goals: Osorio (4), Cranley (3), Spark (2), Willemsen (1)
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (7)
San Jose State Saves: Smith (7)