March 24, 2010
SAN DIEGO - The 14th-ranked San Diego State water polo team's fourth-quarter rally came up short as the Aztecs fell to fifth-ranked Hawai'i, 9-6, Wednesday afternoon at Aztec Aquaplex. With the loss, SDSU falls to 16-10 (0-4 MPSF), while the Rainbow Wahine improve to 10-6 (2-2 MPSF).
The first quarter saw a total of four goals scored with each team posting two. Hawai'i started things off when Amarens Genee's close-range shot found the back of the net. Not two minutes later, Melissa de Jonckheere took advantage of a one-on-one breakaway opportunity and got SDSU on the scoreboard. The Aztecs eventually took a 2-1 lead on Amber Pezzolla's skip shot, but the Wahine knotted the score at 2-2 with a power-play goal.
In the second quarter, the game came to an offensive standstill as both teams' defenses took over. Hawai'i managed to post the lone goal of the quarter and the visitors took a 3-2 lead into halftime.
After intermission, UH asserted itself and created some distance from the Aztecs. Kimmy Keach tied the match at 3-3 with a skip shot coming out of the break on a power-play opportunity, but Hawai'i answered with four unanswered goals to create a 7-3 lead heading into the final period.
Facing a four-goal deficit, San Diego State went to work and chipped away at the UH lead. After an uneventful 90 seconds, the Rainbow Wahine turned the ball over, which led to a breakaway chance for Pezzolla, who cashed in her second goal of afternoon. Then just over a minute later, Pezzolla brought the Aztecs to within two goals at 7-5 when she found the back of the left side of the cage with her cross-pool attempt.
With San Diego State on the attack, Hawai'i responded with a goal of its own on the next possession, but the Aztecs would not go down quietly. Just as quickly as the Wahine scored its goal, SDSU answered right back when Sarah Brady used an off-speed shot that rattled the upper left corner of the net, which brought the Aztecs back to within two goals with 3:35 remaining. After a few empty possessions for both teams, UH connected on its ninth goal of the game as its power play was ending to provide the final three-goal margin.
Aztec goalkeeper Kelly Campoli made a ton of great saves on the day and finished with a game-high 10. The sophomore and the defensive unit held its 21st opponent and seven of their last eight foes to single digits in scoring this season.
SDSU returns to the pool on Saturday when it travels to top-ranked USC. The Aztecs and Women of Troy will commence their MPSF game at noon PT at McDonald's Swim Stadium.
No. 5 Hawai'i 9, No. 14 San Diego State 6
Aztec Aquaplex (San Diego, Calif.)
UH 2-1-4-2--9
SDSU 2-0-1-3--6
UH goals: Monika Eggens 3, Amarens Genee, Saara Majuri, Leonie Van Der Molen, Dagmar Genee, Carmen Eggens, Monique Wilson
SDSU goals: Amber Pezzolla 3, Melissa de Jonckheere, Kimmy Keach, Sarah Brady
UH saves: Serena Bredin 3
SDSU saves: Kelly Campoli 10