Feb. 5, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - Looking to rebound from a loss earlier in the day, the No. 16 Arizona State University water polo team did just that as they handed Cal Baptist a 9-7 decision in the second game of the UC San Diego Arena Invitational at the Canyonview Pool in La Jolla, Calif., Saturday evening. The win move the Sun Devils (1-1, 0-0 MPSF) into the 7-8-9 portion of championship pool play for Sunday while the Lancers (3-2) dropped their second game on the day to fall into the 10-11-12 bracket.
The two teams set the tone early as five total goals were scored in the first period of play. CBU opened the scoring with a goal at 5:20 before Ashley Bower (So., Bondi Beach, Australia) recorded her first goal of the season at 3:45. A little over one minute later, though, the Lancers regained the lead and then added another goal with 2:54 remaining in the opening period. With 32 seconds remaining, Katie Hedley (So., Lake Forest, Calif.) added her team-leading fourth goal of the year to bring ASU to within one, 3-2.
Although only one goal was scored in the second quarter, it was a big score for the Sun Devils as Elaine Bentley (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) found the back of the net to send the game to halftime tied at three. The third quarter opened with Bower scoring at 4:25 for a 4-3 lead, but CBU answered at 4:15 to once again tie the game. In a seesaw battle, ASU scored again, this time getting a goal from Raelyn Ritchie (So., Newport Beach, Calif.) at the 3:54 mark to push the Sun Devils on top, 5-4. The Lodi connection padded that lead in the final minute of the quarter as Kimberlee Stevens (Jr., Lodi, Calif.) scored a 0:39 and Heather Rempfer (Jr., Lodi, Calif.) added a tally at 0:11 for a 7-4 lead.
In the final period of play and just 34 seconds into that stanza, Stevens added another goal to put the lead at 8-4 and effectively put the game out of reach. At 6:08, CBU scored to make it 8-5, but Bower pushed home her third score of the game for a 9-5 lead. The Lancers added two more goals in the remaining minutes of play, but it was not enough to stop the Sun Devils from their first victory of the year, 9-7.
These two teams have met seven times now with the 9-7 victory recorded by ASU Saturday marking the only game ending with a differential of more than one goal. The Lancers lead the series, 4-3, with the first six games being decided by one goal, including an 11-10, four-overtime game in this same tournament a year ago.
The UCSD Invitational continues Sunday with ASU battling for a finish of seventh, eighth or ninth. The Sun Devils will face No. 15 Hartwick at 8:05 a.m. before closing the event with a 12:25 p.m. showdown with No. 12 Michigan.