SAN DIEGO – The No. 24-ranked San Diego State water polo team got a multi-goal game from Sydney Gish, but the No. 20 Pacific Tigers used a seven-goal run to set up an 8-5 win at Aztec Aquaplex in a Golden Coast Conference game on Saturday afternoon.
In addition to Gish, who posted her sixth multi-goal game of the season and picked up her first two scores of the conference season, the Aztecs (12-12, 1-2 GCC) got goals from Luck Bullock, Holliss Munchoff and Shannon Murphy. In goal, Tiaare Ahovelo and Mandy Lagerlof split time, with each playing 16 minutes. Ahovelo played the first half, surrendering four goals while making seven saves. Lagerlof also gave up four goals and had five saves in the second half and took the loss.
In a defensive struggle in the first quarter, the lone goal belonged to Bullock, who scored with 1:37 on the clock to give SDSU a 1-0 lead after eight minutes.
The Tigers (13-8, 2-2 GCC) then scored seven straight goals, including four in the second quarter, while holding the Aztecs off the scoreboard to take 4-1 lead into the half.
Coming out of the break, Pacific tallied three unanswered goals to lead 7-1. Munchoff ended the run on a strike with 1:08 to play in the third, sending the game to the fourth with the Scarlet and Black trailing 7-2.
Gish scored her first goal on the first tally of the fourth quarter. It pulled the Aztecs back to a 7-3 deficit, but the Tigers got the goal back with 4:17 left on the clock. Down 8-3, Murphy scored with 3:03 to go and Gish got the final goal of the game, at the 1:29 mark, for the final score of 8-5.
Pacific: 0-4-3-1 – 8
San Diego State: 1-0-1-3 – 5
Pacific Goals: Alaksza (5), Futorian (1), Lillie (1), McGowan (1)
San Diego State Goals: Gish (2), Bullock (1), Munchoff (1), Murphy (1),
Pacific Saves: Dulic (13)
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (7), Lagerlof (5)
No. 24 Water Polo Upended by No. 20 Pacific
