Jan. 25, 2013
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The #5 Arizona State University women's water polo team knocked off ranked squads from Loyola Marymount and Cal Baptist today to open the 2013 season at the UCSB Winter Invite. Recaps of each game are below.
#5 ARIZONA STATE 11, #8 LMU 7
Arizona State University water polo head coach said this week that #8 Loyola Marymount would be one of the toughest challenges of the early season for the #5 Sun Devil women.
If Friday’s contest at the UCSB Winter Invitation was any indication, the Sun Devils look to have passed that test with flying colors in an 11-7 victory that wasn’t that close until the final frame.
Alicia Brightwell reminded everyone why she was a first-team All-American and one of the top returning water polo players in the NCAA this year, finding the back of the net five times to help ASU jump to a 6-3 halftime lead and a 11-4 lead heading into the final frame as the Sun Devils improved to 2-0 on the season.
ASU had five goals in the first and third frames while LMU struggled to find a way past redshirt sophomore goalkeeper E.B. Keeve, who had 10 saves in her second career start.
Keeve now has 22 saves through two games while Brightwell has notched seven goals already this season.
Shannon Haas added a hat trick with three goals while Daisy Carter, Petra Pardi and Anna Kertes each found the back of the net once in the contest.
Of the 14 goals given up through today’s games – which also included a 14-7 victory over #18 Cal Baptist – eight have come in the fourth quarter with the games largely out of reach by that point.
ASU returns to action on Saturday as part of the Invitational with another doubleheader as the squad will take on #17 CSU Northridge at 12:30 p.m. PT and the host #15 UCSB at 5:10 p.m.
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Final |
|
ASU |
5 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
11 |
|
LMU |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
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#5 ARIZONA STATE 14, #18 CAL BAPTIST 7
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The #5 Arizona State University water polo team opened the 2013 campaign with a resounding 14-7 victory over #18 Cal Baptist to kick off the UCSB Winter Invite at the Campus Pool in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Friday.
The Sun Devils got off to a hot start, opening up a 11-1 lead through the first half to put things away early. ASU was up 12-2 through three quarters but gave up five goals in the final frame the make the game a bit closer than it bad been throughout.
Sun Devil Olympian Gao Ao paced the team with her first hat trick of the season, notching three goals in the contest. Alicia Brightwell, Shannon Haas and Amanda Young each had two goals apiece while Anna Kertes, Petra Pardi, Liz Kreek, Daisy Carter and Katie Sverchek each found the back of the net once. Carter and Sverchek, both freshmen, posted their first career goals.
In the cage, redshirt freshman E.B. Keeve was dominant as she blocked 12 shots on the contest and held the Lancers largely in check until the final frame.
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Final |
|
ASU |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
14 |
|
Cal Baptist |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
7 |