March 19, 2010
LOS ANGELES - The 14th-ranked San Diego State water polo team split a pair of matches on the first day of the LMU Invitational at Burns Recreation and Aquatics Center. The Aztecs experienced no trouble with Pomona-Pitzer, beating the Sagehens, 13-4, before falling to ninth-ranked Loyola Marymount, 11-6, in the second game of a doubleheader.
In the contest vs. Pomona-Pitzer, Alex Ford gave SDSU the early 1-0 lead only to have the Sagehens tie the score just over two minutes later. But as the quarter came to a close, Amber Pezzolla bookended a Melissa de Jonckheere goal and San Diego State took a 4-1 lead into the second quarter and never looked back.
The second period saw both teams score just one goal apiece, but the Aztecs hung a five spot on Pomona-Pitzer in the third to move ahead, 10-2. In the decisive third quarter, SDSU received three goals from Meaghan Poland and single tallies from Sarah Brady and Kimmy Keach.
In the final quarter, San Diego State outscored the Sagehens, 3-2, to put the finishing touches on what would be a nine-goal victory. Rachel Miller turned in two goals, which marked the third multiple-goal quarter by an Aztec on this morning, and Ashley de Goede added a goal of her own.
Goalkeeper Kelly Campoli earned the start in net, played only one half and made two saves. Erin Abrams, meanwhile, entered at the start of the third quarter and made a team-high three stops.
In the second game of the day against the host Lions, SDSU dented the scoreboard first when Brady put her shot past LMU keeper Kristine Cato. After the good start, things went south for the Aztecs as Loyola Marymount scored three unanswered goals and finished the first eight minutes with a 3-1 lead.
Much like the first period, San Diego State logged the first goal of the second frame when Keach found the back of the cage just 30 seconds in. LMU answered with a score of its own and SDSU responded with a Ford score. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, the Lions tacked on another goal before the halftime horn and San Diego State, again, was faced with its second straight two-goal deficit to open a quarter.
After intermission, SDSU cut into the Loyola Marymount lead with a Keach score, but the Aztecs could not take advantage of the situation and allowed four straight goals to trail 9-4 entering the final eight minutes.
San Diego State's trend of scoring first continued in the fourth quarter and the Aztecs actually scored the first two goals of the frame to cut the LMU lead to three. SDSU, however, would get no closer than that as the Lions scored two additional times to put the game away.
The Aztecs (14-9) will close out LMU Invitational play on Saturday with games vs. No. 20 Princeton and Colorado State. SDSU will play the Tigers and Rams at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
LMU Invitational
Burns Recreation and Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
No. 14 San Diego State 13, Pomona-Pitzer 4
P-P 1-1-0-2--4
SDSU 4-1-5-3--13
P-P goals: Tamara Perea 1, Karen Bonner 1, Perri Hopkins 1, Sarah Woods 1
SDSU goals: Amber Pezzolla 3, Meaghan Poland 3, Rachel Miller 2, Sarah Brady 1, Melissa de Jonckheere 1, Ashley de Goede 1, Kimmy Keach 1, Alex Ford 1
P-P saves: Sarah Tuggy 10
SDSU saves: Erin Abrams 3, Kelly Campoli 2
No. 9 Loyola Marymount 11, No. 14 San Diego State 6
SDSU 1-2-1-2--6
LMU 3-2-4-2--11
SDSU goals: Kimmy Keach 2, Sarah Brady 1, Leanne Ford 1, Meaghan Poland 1, Alex Ford 1
LMU goals: Anne Scott 4, Diane Romero 2, Erin Manke 2, Daisy Carrillo 1, Jessica Morelos 1, Kimberly Benedetti 1
SDSU saves: Kelly Campoli - 1
LMU saves: Kristine Cato - 13