Feb. 12, 2010
IRVINE, Calif. - The 10th-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team suffered a 6-5 upset at the hands of No. 12 UC Irvine at Anteater Aquatics Complex Friday evening. The loss drops the Aztecs to 7-3 on the season and comes one game after beating the Anteaters in the third-place game of the Triton Invitational.
The game started in a way SDSU was not accustomed to as it trailed UCI after the first eight minutes, 1-0, as a result of Trudy Chancellor's opening goal. The Anteaters increased their lead to two in the second quarter when Kat Plummer put her shot past Aztec goalkeeper Kelly Campoli. SDSU, however, would finally settle down and responded with three unanswered goals to go into the halftime break ahead, 3-2.
In the third quarter, UC Irvine stifled the San Diego State offense and kept the Aztecs off the board. The Anteaters, meanwhile, netted two goals over the course of the period to enter the fourth period nursing a 4-3 lead.
UCI kept the pressure on SDSU in the final stanza by scoring two goals before the Aztecs dented the scoreboard to move ahead, 6-3. Later as time ticked off the clock, San Diego State rallied with a pair of goals of its own to cut its deficit to one, but was shut out the rest of the way as the Anteaters avenged their loss just six days earlier.
Amber Pezzolla led the Aztecs with two goals and was joined in the scoring column by Leanne Ford, Alex Ford and Sarah Brady, who each pocketed one goal apiece. Campoli, meanwhile, anchored a defense that held its ninth opponent to fewer than 10 goals and made a game-high 13 saves.
San Diego State returns to the pool on Saturday when it visits Long Beach State at 1 p.m. PT.
No. 12 UC Irvine 6, No. 10 San Diego State 5
Anteater Aquatics Complex (Irvine, Calif.)
SDSU 0-3-0-2--5UCI 1-1-2-2--6
SDSU goals: Amber Pezzolla 2, Leanne Ford, Alex Ford, Sarah Brady
UCI goals: Caitlin Haskell 2, Jessy Cardy, Katie Croghan, Kat Plummer, Trudy Chancellor
SDSU saves: Kelly Campoli - 13
UCI saves: Lauren Davis - 10