SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The No. 20-ranked San Diego State water polo team saw the Santa Clara Broncos tally three straight goals to open its Golden Coast Conference game at Sullivan Aquatic Center but then responded by scoring six straight and 14 of the final 21 goals in a 14-10 victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Aztec (14-11, 4-2 GCC) offense was powered by Megan Holcomb’s second hat trick of the season, as well as two goals each from Lucy Bullock, Julianne Stark and Claudia Valdes. Hannah Bell, Delanney Ewing, Rose Kanemy, Luna Sarmiento and Mimi Stoupas scored once.
In the cage, Tiaare Ahovelo (9-8), the goalie of record, played the first 16 minutes surrendering four goals with six saves. Mandy Lagerlof was in goal for the second half and made three saves, allowed six in, and assisted on three of the squad’s 14 goals.
Santa Clara (5-14, 0-5 GCC) opened the scoring at the 6:53 mark. On the powerplay, SCU made it 2-0 exactly two minutes in, and then added a third tally on a penalty shot with 4:06 to play in the opening quarter.
Kanemy halted the Broncos run on a penalty shot at 3:46 and was followed by Holcomb banging the back of the cage on her first of the day, with 3:04 on the clock. SDSU leveled the score at 3-3 with seven seconds to play on a Stark power play goal, her first of her two goals, assisted by Kanemy. The assist was the 183rd of Kanemy’s Aztec career and moved her to within three of Elana Cervantes’ program record of 186.
The second quarter started with the teams knotted at 3-3, but Bullock gave the Scarlet and Black its first lead at the 6:20 mark off an assist by Stark, and SDSU would never trail again. San Diego State increased its advantage to 5-3 on a successful penalty shot by Valdes three minutes into the period and then to 6-3 on a Bullock shot at 3:32. Stark picked up her second assist of the game on the strike and it was Bullock’s second goal of the game and the quarter. SDSU held the Broncos off the scoreboard in the second and took its 6-3 lead into the half.
Coming out of the break, Lagerlof took over in goal and, at the 6:23 mark, surrendered to Santa Clara the initial goal of the second half making it 6-4. Valdes got the goal back with 5:59 on the clock and 38 seconds later, Stoupas made it 8-4.
The Broncos halted San Diego State’s two goal run on a strike at 4:53. Sarmiento pushed the Aztecs lead back to four goals, 9-5, with 3:52 on the clock. Lagerlof was credited with assists on both the Stoupas and Sarmiento goals. After Holcomb scored her second of the game, assisted by Sarmiento with 2:29 to go in the quarter, it was 10-5. SCU responded with the final tally of the period, at 1:50, and it was 10-6 as the teams went to the fourth quarter.
Sixty-two seconds into the final eight minutes, Santa Clara trimmed the lead to three goals, 10-7. Bell bent the net on a powerplay at the 5:16 mark and then Stark picked up her second score of the game, with 4:38 on the clock, to make it 12-7. Valdes was credited with an assist on the Bell goal and Lagerlof, with her third of the game, on Stark’s strike.
At 3:43, Ewing got into the scoring column, with Shannon Murphy getting an assist, on an Aztec powerplay to push the lead to 13-7. The Broncos reduced SDSU’s lead back to five goals just 10 seconds after Ewing’s tally and then made it 13-9 with 2:04 to go.
Murphy and Holcomb, with 1:24 on the clock, connected on Holcomb’s third goal of the game, padding the lead and with 31 ticks on the clock, SCU scored the final goal in the 14-10 Aztecs win.
San Diego State: 3-3-4-4 - 14
Santa Clara: 3-0-3-4 - 10
San Diego State Goals: Holcomb (3), Bullock (2), Stark (2), Valdes (2), Bell, Ewing, Kanemy, Sarmiento, Stoupas
Santa Clara Goals: Rodman (3), Slater (2), Chambliss, Genco, Harvey, McCabe, Torres
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (6), Lagerlof (3)
Santa Clara Saves: Tassell (8)