March 10, 2011
Sun Devil Statistics (pdf)
TEMPE - The No. 7 Arizona State University water polo team returns to California this weekend for four games in two days, opening on Friday night with an MPSF game at No. 3 USC before facing three foes in the Claremont Convergence event on Saturday. The Sun Devils (5-7, 0-2 MPSF) are coming off a weekend split in which they fell to No. 3 UCLA, 8-1, and defeated Cal Baptist, 16-7, in ASU’s first two home games of the season.
First up this weekend will be the Sun Devils’ third league game and their third against a Top 4 ranked team in MPSF competition when they visit the McDonald’s Swim Stadium in Los Angeles to face the third-ranked Trojans. USC is 9-3 on the season and stands 1-1 in MPSF play.
On Saturday, ASU will take on three foes in the Claremont Convergence, a two-day event that will see over 20 different teams compete in games played on the campuses of Pomona-Pitzer, LaVern and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Sun Devils will open at 9 a.m. when they face No. 11 Long Beach State (4-9) before meeting Redlands (5-1), the second-ranked team in Division III, at 11:40 a.m. The day’s and weekend’s slate comes to a close at 2:20 p.m. when ASU faces Colorado State (3-8).
In ASU’s two-game split last weekend, Lynlee Smith provided the offensive spark for the team as she collected 10 points, including a career-high-tying nine points on five goals and four assists in the 16-7 defeat of the Lancers. She also assisted on Sarah Harris’ goal in the 8-1 loss to the Bruins. Defensively, Ianeta Hutchinson recorded a career-high 10 saves in the loss to UCLA.
Next weekend, the Sun Devils will play just one time as they host No. 1 Stanford at noon on Saturday, March 19, at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe.