March 24, 2012
SAN DIEGO - The eighth-ranked San Diego State water polo team bounced back with a 21-8 rout of visiting Occidental in the second half of a doubleheader Saturday at the Aztec Aquaplex. The Aztecs notched a season high for goals to improve to 17-7 overall, while the Tigers, who are the top-ranked squad in NCAA Division III, dropped to 17-4 on the year.
SDSU received four goals on the day by both freshman two-meter Tori Long and junior driver Emily Whalen. Senior Meaghan Poland added three goals and both freshman Taelor Moreno and junior Amber Pezzolla found the back of the net twice. In all, 11 different players accounted for the team's 21 tallies, which were a season best by three, beating the 18-goal outburst vs. Sonoma State back in February.
Occidental actually struck first, as Nanea Fujiyama took advantage of a 6-on-5 situation with a goal at the 5:55 mark of the first quarter. The Aztecs responded with three consecutive scores with the first two coming by Moreno and the third by Rachel Miller off a long outlet pass from goalkeeper Kelly Campoli.
The Tigers scored just 26 seconds before the end of the first period to make it 3-2, but then San Diego State erupted for eight unanswered goals to go up 11-2 at the break.
The Aztecs extended their lead to as many as 12, before Occidental scored two in a row to make it 15-5 at the 3:16 mark of the third quarter. From there, San Diego State notched six of the game's next nine goals to earn the 21-8 victory.
The Tigers were led by Tessa Bailey-Findley's four goals, while Fujiyama accounted for three of her team's other four tallies.
SDSU hits the road for back-to-back MPSF matches at San Jose State on Saturday and at Stanford on Sunday.
No. 8 San Diego State 21, Occidental 8
Aztec Aquaplex | San Diego, Calif.
Occidental 2-0-3-3--8
SDSU 3-8-5-5--21
Occidental goals: Bailey-Findley 4, Fujiyama 3, Gibbs
SDSU goals: Long 4, Whalen 4, Poland 3, Moreno 2, Pezzolla 2, Boling, Burgess, Carballo, A. Ford, Miller, Voigt
Occidental saves: Munoz 4
SDSU saves: Campoli 4, Klingfus 4