April 15, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - It was Senior Day in Tempe Sunday afternoon and the No. 11 Arizona State University water polo sent its four seniors out on a high note in the home finale as the Sun Devils upset No. 7 UC Irvine, 11-7, at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center in Tempe. The victory, ASU's seventh in its last eight games, pushed the Sun Devils' record to 12-11 overall and 5-6 in the MPSF while putting ASU over the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Anteaters slipped to 16-10 overall and 3-8 in the league.
UCI jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Robyn Kaake scored the first of her three on the day before senior Ashley Bower netted a goal to tie the game at one. The Anteaters retook the lead with a goal from Gianna Rossi before Addison Doud scored to once again even the score. The Sun Devils ended the first quarter on top as Kelly Phelps scored with 2:32 remaining for a 3-2 lead.
ASU extended its lead to 4-2 on a goal from Ali Gronow before UCI got goals from Nicole Flacco and Julia Fancher to once again tie the game at four. But, Katy Lawlor scored two goals in a row to retake a two-goal lead before Doud scored her second of the contest to make it 7-4 at the intermission.
The Anteaters scored twice to open the third quarter before ASU answered with three in a row as Bonnie Chapman scored once before senior Lindsay Williams scored twice in a row to make it 10-6 with one quarter to play. In the final stanza, senior Katie Hedley scored to make it 11-6 before Kaake scored her third goal to end the scoring with the hosts on top, 11-7.
Caylinn Wallace played the entire game after sitting out the past three and recorded 12 saves, including a 5-meter penalty shot save, to lead the team to their fifth conference victory of the year, equalling the most MPSF wins in a season established one year ago (5-7 in 2006). The Anteaters' Lauren Machanis stopped eight ASU shots.
Prior to the game, the Sun Devils honored their four seniors as the crowd recognized Bower, Hedley, Williams and back-up goalie Windy Ballejos. The UCI game marked the quartets final regular season home game as the Sun Devils will still play more games at home in two weeks as part of the 2007 MPSF Championships (April 26-29).
ASU will hit the road next weekend for a pair of games on Saturday, April 21, when the face San Diego State at noon and UC San Diego at 7 p.m., both at their respective home pools in the San Diego area.
#11 Arizona State defeats #7 UC Irvine, 11-7
ASU Goals: Doud 2, Lawlor 2, Williams 2, Bower, Chapman, Gronow, Hedley, Phelps
UCI Goals: Kaake 3, Fancher 2, Flacco, Rossi
ASU Saves: Wallace 12
UCI Saves: Machanis 8