SEASIDE, Calif. – The No. 23 San Diego State water polo team spotted the Cal State Monterey Bay Otters the first goal of the game but then banged the back of the net four straight times to take control of the contest and cruised to a 21-7 win on Saturday afternoon at the Otter Tank on the campus of Cal State Monterey Bay.
The Scarlet and Black (5-4) offense was paced by three goals each from Hannah Bell, Sammi Byers, Sydney Gish and Mimi Stoupas. It was Byers, Bell and Gish’s second hat trick of the season and Stoupas’ fourth. Lucy Bullock, Amanda Chambers and Claudia Valdes scored twice while Delanney Ewing, Sofia Righetti and Julianne Stark scored once.
Tiaare Ahovelo (2-4) started the game, and in the first half, made five saves while letting three into the cage and earned the win. In addition, Ahovelo had two steals and an assist. Ava Ratajczak was in goal for the second 16 minutes giving up four goals without a save.
The Aztecs 21 goals match their 21 against Cal Lutheran for the most in a game this season.
The Otters (1-6) got the opening score of the game on a power play, but Valdes responded with a goal to knot the game at 1-1 with 4:51 remaining in the opening quarter. Bullock hit the back of the net with 3:56 to go to put SDSU in front 2-1. Gish scored at the 2:40 mark and was followed by Bell with 1:51 on the clock and it was 4-1 in favor of the Scarlet and Black. Cal State Monterey Bay got a goal back with 1:21 to play before Stark and Valdes scored to make it 6-2. The Otters scored the final goal of the opening stanza and the game went to the second quarter with SDSU leading 6-3.
It took 3:25 in the second period for either team to score, but when they did, SDSU opened the flood gate. Stoupas scored with 4:35 on the clock, followed by Gish’s second at 3:06. Just 22 seconds later, with 2:44 on the clock, Chambers got into the scoring column and the run was capped by Ewing, who scored with 1:09 remaining to send the game to the intermission with San Diego State comfortably up 10-3.
Coming out of the break, Stoupas pushed the Aztecs advantage to 12-3, with tallies at the 4:46 and 2:05 marks. Byers made it 13-3 with her first of the day with 1:33 left in the third. Gish added another goal with 48 seconds on the clock and with one second remaining, on a penalty shot, Byers got her second of the period to make it 15-3 heading to the final 8 minutes.
The Aztecs scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter on shots from Bullock, with 6:33 to play, and Bell with 5:54 on the clock. The Otters finally ended an 18-minute drought with a goal with 5:31 left on the clock. At the 5:13 mark, Byers made it 18-4 with her third of the day and after the Otters scored, Chambers and Bell scored at the 4:21 and 3:35 marks, respectively. CSUMB got the two goals back but Righetti’s tally with 1:33 to play gave San Diego State the 21-7 victory.
The Aztecs wrap up their two-game northern California swing tomorrow at San Jose State. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. PT and there will be live stats and free-based streaming video.
San Diego State: 6-4-5-6 - 21
Cal State Monterey Bay: 3-0-0-4 - 7
San Diego State Goals: Bell (3), Byers (3), Gish (3), Stoupas (3), Bullock (2), Chambers (2), Valdes (2), Ewing (1), Righetti (1), Stark (1)
Cal State Monterey Bay Goals: Day (2), Ainsworth (1), Eaton (1), Gostanian (1), Harper (1), Sosa (1)
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (5), Ratajczak (0)
Cal State Monterey Bay Saves: White (6)