May 1, 2011
TEMPE – The 11th-ranked and eighth-seeded Arizona State University water polo team built an early lead over fourth-ranked and fifth-seeded USC at the MPSF Championships on Saturday morning, but was unable to hold on as the defending national champion Trojans escaped with a 10-9 victory at the event being held in San Jose, Calif. The Sun Devils, who held leads of 5-1 and 7-4 over the first and second quarters, respectively, fell to 11-14 on the season while the Trojans improved to 17-6.
ASU got on the board first as Sarah Harris found the back of the cage at the 6:51 mark for a 1-0 lead before adding her a second tally on the advantage at 5:22 to make it 2-0 for the Sun Devils. After USC scored to cut the lead to one goal, ASU quickly regained the two-goal advantage as Lynlee Smith scored just 29 seconds later and then again at the 3:07 mark for a 4-1 advantage. Then, with 30 seconds remaining in the opening stanza, Harris netted her third of the game to put the Sun Devils on top, 5-1.
In the second, USC scored to cut the lead to three goals before Harris scored for the fourth time to regain a four goal advantage. From there, the Trojans scored twice to make it 6-4 before Smith scored with 10 seconds to go in the half for a 7-4 ASU lead at the break.
The third period was similar to the first, just switched around as USC scored five times to ASU’s two to tie the game at 9-9. The Trojans scored the opening three goals of the period to tie the game at seven before both teams traded goals. Shannon Haas put ASU ahead, 8-7, with her goal at 4:43 before Mariam Salloum added a goal at 3:45 remaining to make it 9-8.
In the fourth, USC’s Kristen Dronberger broke the tie at the 6:45 mark to give the Trojans their first lead of the game and neither team was able to score the rest of the way, giving USC the victory and advancing them to the fifth-place contest on Sunday while sending the Sun Devils to the seventh-place game.
Along with her three goals, Smith also recorded four assists, bringing her season total to 50 and setting a single-season record. The previous best was set by Ashley Bower, who accumulated 46 in a season, which Smith tied one day ago with a pair of helpers for the Sun Devils.
In the cage, Ianeta Hutchinson was credited with six saves.
The Sun Devils will wrap up their time in San Jose on Sunday as they will face #7/#9 San Diego State in the seventh-place game at 10 a.m.
#4/#5 USC def. #11/#8 Arizona State, 10-9
ASU: 5 - 2 - 2 - 0 = 9
USC: 1 - 3 - 5 - 1 = 10
Goals
ASU: Harris 4, Smith 3, Haas, Salloum
USC: Dronberger 3, Jancso 3, Sardo 2, Dan, Van Norman
Saves
ASU: Hutchinson 6
USC: Bolonyai 3