March 31, 2016
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- After a 12-day break from competition, the 20th-ranked San Diego State water polo team returned to the pool in style on Thursday, sweeping a pair of non-conference games with a gritty 8-7 triumph over No. 16 Long Beach State, followed by a 15-5 conquest of Brown at Ken Lindgren Aquatic Center. With the two victories, the Aztecs raise their record to 10-12 on the season.
Against the 49ers, SDSU received a boost from senior Tayla Walsh (Sydney, Australia), who netted her first hat trick of the year, while junior Caroline Israels (Pompano Beach, Fla.) and freshman Hannah Carrillo (San Diego, Calif.) registered two goals apiece. Senior Nikole Ferrari (Redwood City, Calif.) also got into the act with a marker of her own, while fellow classmate Rachel Mitchell (Danville, Calif.) came up huge with nine saves in front of the cage.
Trailing 5-4 in the waning moments of the third quarter, the Aztecs got the equalizer on a Carrillo's first tally of the afternoon at the 1:06 mark before taking the lead for good on a pair of strikes early in the final period. The Scarlet and Black converted a 6-on-5 opportunity as Walsh found the back of the net with 6:55 remaining in the game, while Carrillo soon followed with even-strength goal on SDSU's next possession.
LBSU cut the deficit to 7-6 on a score by Emily Garczynski with 4:42 to go, but Walsh hit pay dirt just over a minute later to restore the Aztecs' two-goal advantage. The 49ers mounted one last challenge as Garczynski completed her own hat trick with a power-play goal at the 2:14 mark. Shortly thereafter, the 49ers called a 30-second timeout with 1:10 left to set up for the tying score, but were unable to force overtime.
The contest, which witnessed five ties and two lead changes, was tied 3-3 at halftime after LBSU's Virginia Smith struck with 2:17 remaining in the second quarter. Earlier in the period, Israels notched the second of her two goals for SDSU on a five-meter penalty shot at the 4:20 mark.
Buoyed by their good fortune, the Aztecs matched their highest scoring output of the season with a rout of Brown in the nightcap. Offensive balance was on display for the Scarlet and Black as 11 different players found their way onto the final stat sheet. Israels continued her hot shooting with three additional goals against the Bears, while sophomore reserve Brigette Kimbrough (San Clemente, Calif.) came off the bench to record her first hat trick as a collegian.
SDSU seized control of the game with five goals in the first quarter featuring two power-play conversions by junior Alyssa Diacono (Ladera Ranch, Calif.) and fellow classmate Ioli Benekou (Marousi, Greece), while another Israels penalty shot found daylight.
The Aztecs increased their advantage with two more goals in the second period before Brown (7-17) finally dented the scoreboard with a pair Carman Rosas tallies in the final 3:05 of the stanza. However, the Bears' faint comeback hopes were dashed in the third quarter when SDSU erupted for five additional markers to put the game out of reach.
Mitchell blocked four shots in goal for the Aztecs in the first half before giving way to sophomore Kathleen McDonnell (Tualatin, Ore.), who finished with three saves in mop-up action.
San Diego State will return home to face No. 1 USC and Fresno Pacific in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 2, at Aztec Aquaplex. SDSU will engage the Women of Troy starting at 10 a.m. PT, before battling the Sunbirds in a Golden Coast Conference matchup at 1 p.m.
No. 20 SAN DIEGO STATE 8, No. 16 LONG BEACH STATE 7
Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center; Long Beach, Calif.
SDSU 2-1-2-3 -- 8
LBSU 1-2-2-2 -- 7
SDSU Goals
Walsh 3, Carrillo 2, Israels 2, Ferrari 1
LBSU Goals
Garczynski 3, Brooks 1, Massier 1, Matheson 1, Smith 1
SDSU Saves
Mitchell 9
LBSU Saves
Butler 7
No. 20 SAN DIEGO STATE 15, BROWN 5
BROWN 0-2-1-2 --5
SDSU 5-2-5-3 -- 15
SDSU Goals
Israels 3, Kimbrough 3, Benekou 1, Carrillo 1, Diacono 1, Ferrari 1, King 1, Mk. Magro 1, Ml. Magro 1, Vizcarra 1, Walsh 1
BROWN Goals
Rosas 2, Heilman 1, McDougal 1, Miller 1
SDSU Saves
Mitchell 4, McDonnell 3
BROWN Saves
Dakan 2