Jan. 23, 2016
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's water polo team defeated the alumni, 13-9, Saturday morning at Aztec Aquaplex. The current Aztecs scored early and often before the former Aztecs mounted a fourth-quarter rally that fell well short.
SDSU got out to a quick start highlighted by a Caroline Israels goal 28 seconds into the game. The Aztecs then followed it with an Ioli Benekou penalty shot less than three minutes later, a Tayla Walsh score not a minute later and a Taylor Gums strike off a pass from Benekou. Becca Ur got the alumni on the board with 94 seconds left in the frame, but Brigette Kimbrough answered the next possession. Ur made it a 5-2 game as she found the back of the net for a second time with 49 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Ur kept the alumni close with her third goal of the game and her second of the backhanded variety with 5:01 left in the first half. The Aztecs, however, locked down defensively and received single tallies from Gums and Paola Vizcarra to take a 7-3 lead at halftime. Gums' goal came on a backhand through traffic, while Vizcarra was the beneficiary of ball movement when Makena Magro found the sophomore for a wide-open look.
The Aztecs widened their margin in the third quarter with five unanswered goals to start the half. Similar to the first quarter, SDSU got one early when Magro found Nikole Ferrari for her first goal just 41 seconds into the action. Magro was at it again after a couple minutes had gone by, this time pairing with Gums, which then led to an Alyssa Diacono goal off a pass from Ferrari. San Diego State made it 12-3 when Hannah Carrillo powered a shot off a defender's hand and Kimbrough added her second off a lob. Sandy Dielman stopped the 7-0 Aztec scoring run with a goal, but Vizcarra moved SDSU back ahead, 13-4, with her second of the day.
The alumni mounted a comeback with two early goals, the first coming from Dielman after Dominique Delgado found her cross-pool. Then before the clock hit 5:00, Brooke Vessey punched another one in for the former Aztecs. The two goals eventually turned into three more for the alumni as it shutout the current squad, 5-0, in the quarter, but the effort was not enough as the 2016 Aztecs won for a second straight season.
SDSU will open the season officially on Saturday, Jan. 30, when it competes at the Michigan Kick Off.