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No. 17 ASU Water Polo Ends Road Swing with 6-4 Upset Loss at Pacific

No. 17 ASU Water Polo Ends Road Swing with 6-4 Upset Loss at PacificNo. 17 ASU Water Polo Ends Road Swing with 6-4 Upset Loss at Pacific

March 6, 2005

TEMPE, Ariz. - The No. 17 Arizona State University water polo team concluded its three-game road swing through Northern California Sunday with their third loss in a row as Pacific upset the Sun Devils, 6-4, at the Chris Kjeldsen Pool in Stockton, Calif. The loss pushed ASU's record to 4-8 on the season a dropped the team to 0-2 in MPSF play while the host Tigers improved to 8-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.

The game opened with the hosts taking an early 1-0 lead after seven minutes of play before adding a second tally to open the second stanza. With under two minutes remaining before the intermission, Ashley Bower (So., Bondi Beach, Australia) was able to record her 19th goal of the season to bring the Sun Devils to within one at the break.

In the third quarter, the Sun Devils, who defeated UOP 12-5 last weekend at the Daktroincs Gaucho Invitational, took their first lead of the contest as Raelyn Ritchie (So., Newport Beach, Calif.) and Kimberlee Stevens (Jr., Lodi, Calif.) scored on back-to-back possessions to stake ASU to a 3-2 lead. But the lead was short lived as the Tigers scored on their next two possessions to reclaim the lead, this time for good, at 4-3.

The fourth quarter opened with another UOP goal for a 5-3 lead before Katie Hedley (So., Lake Forest, Calif.) recorded a goal to cut the deficit to one. But in the end, the Tigers would add another insurance goal as ASU made its final push. Defensively, Jennifer Sanderson (Sr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) got the starting nod in the cage and recorded seven saves.

This upcoming weekend, the Sun Devils will open the home portion of its 2005 schedule as they play host to five games, three of which will feature the maroon and gold. On Saturday, ASU opens the weekend as it takes on MPSF foe No. 13 UC Irvine at noon. A battle of Top 10 teams follows at 1:30 p.m. with No. 4 Long Beach State and No. 9 Indiana facing off before UCI and IU close out the day. Sunday will see ASU face LBSU at noon before taking on the Hoosiers in a 6 p.m. contest to close out the home stand.

OPPONENT 1 2 3 4 F -------------------- -- -- -- -- -- #17 Arizona State 0 1 2 1 4 Pacific 1 1 3 1 6

ASU Saves: Sanderson (7) ASU Goals: Bower, Hedley, Ritchie, Stevens