March 11, 2011
SAN DIEGO - The ninth-ranked San Diego State women's water polo team kicked off the fifth annual Aztec Invitational today, defeating Wagner by a score of 18-6. The win is the second consecutive for the Aztecs, who will play a total of four games this weekend at the Aztec Aquaplex.
The Aztecs got off to a quick start on Friday, thanks to a first-minute goal by Meaghan Poland from inside two meters. Less than a minute later, Leanne Ford capitalized on a penalty shot to quickly put the Aztecs up 2-0. Poland again found an opening in the shooting lane at the 5:09 mark to put SDSU up 3-0 with her second goal of the game.
Wagner attempted to slow the Aztecs' momentum with a timeout midway through the first quarter, but a Ronni Gautschi goal off of a beautiful feed inside on a 6-on-5 kept the rout on. With just over a minute remaining in the quarter, a Rachel Miller score made it 5-0. Wagner's Chelsea Beck finally got the Seahawks on the board with 38 seconds to go in the first quarter, her first of three goals on the day, but a Meghann Pedersen goal just 11 seconds later would put SDSU up 6-1, ending first quarter scoring.
The second quarter began as a defensive showcase for goalkeeper Kelly Campoli. The sophomore All-American made two spectacular saves from inside the two-meter mark, keeping SDSU out of striking distance. After a defensive stalemate took up most of the quarter, both offenses would explode during the last minute of action. Meghann Pedersen's second goal of the contest, a quick conversion off of an exclusion with 51 seconds to go, was answered ten seconds later by Wagner's Lauren French. An Ashley de Goede score with 16 seconds to go would then put SDSU up comfortably at half, 9-2.
Perhaps the prettiest play of the game came in the third quarter, when Sarah Brady took a pool-long breakout pass from Amber Pezzolla and then quickly dished left to Poland for an easy open-net goal. Following three more goals, Gautschi drew a foul inside the two-meter mark as time expire, setting up Sarah Brady for a penalty shot. Brady would skip-shoot to the left, giving SDSU a 14-4 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Fourth-quarter goals by Alana Burgess, Ashley de Goede, Gautschi, and Kim Lewis would cancel out two scores by Wagner's Chelsea Beck, giving the Aztecs an 18-6 victory.
The No. 9 Aztecs will be back in action on Saturday when they face No. 10 San Jose State (10-8; 0-2 MPSF) in an MPSF showdown at 10:45 a.m. PT.
No. 9 San Diego State 18, Wagner 6
Aztec Aquaplex - San Diego, Calif.
Wagner 1-1-2-2--6 SDSU 6-3-5-4--18
Wagner goals: Chelsea Beck 3, Lauren French 2, Carina Giles
SDSU goals: Meaghan Poland 4, Leanne Ford 3, Meghann Pedersen 2, Ashley de Goede 2, Ronni Gautschi 2, Sarah Brady, Alana Burgess, Kim Lewis, Rachel Miller, Jenna Natalizio
Wagner saves: Samantha Hillis - 1, Marissa Herold - 0
SDSU saves: Kelly Campoli - 3, Erin Abrams - 1