Feb. 27, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - The No. 18 Arizona State University water polo team won its second game in a row at the Daktronics Gaucho Invitational Sunday as the Sun Devils defeated MPSF foe Pacific, 12-5. With the victory, the Sun Devils improved to 3-5 on the year and will face No. 14 Cal State Northridge later Sunday to determine 17th place in the 23-team tournament being played in Santa Barbara, Calif.
ASU jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back as the Sun Devils carried a 7-1 lead into the halftime break. Upon returning to the pool, ASU added three goals in the third and two in the fourth to record a season high in goals scored at 12.
Ashley Bower (So., Bondi Beach, Australia), Katie Hedley (So., Lake Forest, Calif.), Kimberlee Stevens (Jr., Lodi, Calif.) and Tessa Wyborny (Jr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) paced the offense output of the Sun Devils as each tallied two goals in the game. For Bower, the two scores increased her team lead to 15 and gave her 11 in the four games of the tournament over the weekend. Also adding goals in the contest were Kim Buck (Fr., Lisle, Ill.), Elena Escalona (Fr., Miami, Fla.) and Shelby Slay (Jr., Baytown, Texas).
The Sun Devils return to action next weekend with a pair of road games to open the conference season. Saturday, ASU will travel to Berkeley, Calif., for a noon contest with No. 7 California before heading to Stockton, Calif., for a rematch with the Tigers.