TEMPE, Ariz.-- The sixth-ranked Arizona State University water polo team will hit the road this weekend to face No. 4 California in a pivotal MPSF match Saturday afternoon at the Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Both teams enter the weekend with a 1-1 record in conference play and will be jockeying for seeding in next month's MPSF Tournament, as well as strengthening each's case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships in May.
SCOUTING THE BEARS:
The Bears enter the weekend holding a 13-4 overall record on the season under first year head coach Coralie Simmons. California has been led this season by Dora Antal, who has played 16 games for the Bears and netted an impressive 38 goals. So far in 2017, four different Cal players have reached the 20 goal plateau with Emma Wright (29), Anna Illes (28) and Emily Loughlin (21) each reaching the milestone.
In the cage, senior Madeline Trabucco has anchored the California defense in her 336 minutes of play. Trabucco has allowed just 73 goals on the season, while carding 81 saves en rout to a 4.87 goals against average.
LAST TIME OUT:
In their last outing, the Sun Devils swept their three games at the Roadrunner Invitational. ASU claimed a pair of wins on the first day of play in Bakersfield last weekend, topping CSUB 16-8, before defeating Princeton 7-6. On the day, five different Sun Devil players recorded multiple goals, led by junior Lena Mihailovic, who netted a team-high five goals on the day. In the cage, goalie Mia Rycraw carded 14 saves for the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils picked up right where they left off on day two, defeating Cal State East Bay, 12-5, for the team's fifth straight victory. Senior Alkistis Benekou lead the scoring onslaught for the Sun Devils on Sunday with three goals, closely followed by Maud Koopman and Julia Reyes who each scored a pair of goals in the Sun Devil win. In total, eight different Sun Devils scored goals on the day.
GOALS:
Entering the weekend tilt, ASU has dominated teams in terms of offensive production, outscoring opponents 221 to 123. The Sun Devils boast a roster that includes four players who have eclipsed the 20 goal mark on the season, including three players who have scored 30 or more. Lena Mihailovic leads the way for the Sun Devils in goals scored with 39 so far this seaosn. She is closely followed by senior Alkistis Benekou with 38, while sophomore Maud Koopman has added 35 goals of her own this season.
GREAT WALL OF MIA:
The Sun Devil defense has been a reliable unit so far this season. ASU has combined to hold opponents to just 5.8 goals per game this year. Junior Mia Rycraw has been the anchor for the ASU defense, recording 114 saves in just over 14 games played to average an impressive 10.1 saves per game. Rycraw currently holds the three of the top-5 spots in the MPSF's single-game saves high this season, including an 18 save outing against UCI last weekend that ranks first in the league.
FAMILIAR FOE:
The Bears and Sun Devils have met earlier this season, with the Bears topping the Sun Devils in the teams' first meeting this season, winning 10-4 at the prestigious Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine in February. Cal took a 6-4 lead in the third quarter and pulled away down the stretch with four unanswered goals. Last season, the teams met twice, with the Sun Devils claiming the regular season win, 7-6, in Tempe. The Bears would respond however, topping ASU, 3-4, in the MPSF Championships.
Both teams enter the weekend with a 1-1 record in conference play and will be jockeying for seeding in next month's MPSF Tournament, as well as strengthening each's case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships in May.
SCOUTING THE BEARS:
The Bears enter the weekend holding a 13-4 overall record on the season under first year head coach Coralie Simmons. California has been led this season by Dora Antal, who has played 16 games for the Bears and netted an impressive 38 goals. So far in 2017, four different Cal players have reached the 20 goal plateau with Emma Wright (29), Anna Illes (28) and Emily Loughlin (21) each reaching the milestone.
In the cage, senior Madeline Trabucco has anchored the California defense in her 336 minutes of play. Trabucco has allowed just 73 goals on the season, while carding 81 saves en rout to a 4.87 goals against average.
LAST TIME OUT:
In their last outing, the Sun Devils swept their three games at the Roadrunner Invitational. ASU claimed a pair of wins on the first day of play in Bakersfield last weekend, topping CSUB 16-8, before defeating Princeton 7-6. On the day, five different Sun Devil players recorded multiple goals, led by junior Lena Mihailovic, who netted a team-high five goals on the day. In the cage, goalie Mia Rycraw carded 14 saves for the Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils picked up right where they left off on day two, defeating Cal State East Bay, 12-5, for the team's fifth straight victory. Senior Alkistis Benekou lead the scoring onslaught for the Sun Devils on Sunday with three goals, closely followed by Maud Koopman and Julia Reyes who each scored a pair of goals in the Sun Devil win. In total, eight different Sun Devils scored goals on the day.
GOALS:
Entering the weekend tilt, ASU has dominated teams in terms of offensive production, outscoring opponents 221 to 123. The Sun Devils boast a roster that includes four players who have eclipsed the 20 goal mark on the season, including three players who have scored 30 or more. Lena Mihailovic leads the way for the Sun Devils in goals scored with 39 so far this seaosn. She is closely followed by senior Alkistis Benekou with 38, while sophomore Maud Koopman has added 35 goals of her own this season.
GREAT WALL OF MIA:
The Sun Devil defense has been a reliable unit so far this season. ASU has combined to hold opponents to just 5.8 goals per game this year. Junior Mia Rycraw has been the anchor for the ASU defense, recording 114 saves in just over 14 games played to average an impressive 10.1 saves per game. Rycraw currently holds the three of the top-5 spots in the MPSF's single-game saves high this season, including an 18 save outing against UCI last weekend that ranks first in the league.
FAMILIAR FOE:
The Bears and Sun Devils have met earlier this season, with the Bears topping the Sun Devils in the teams' first meeting this season, winning 10-4 at the prestigious Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine in February. Cal took a 6-4 lead in the third quarter and pulled away down the stretch with four unanswered goals. Last season, the teams met twice, with the Sun Devils claiming the regular season win, 7-6, in Tempe. The Bears would respond however, topping ASU, 3-4, in the MPSF Championships.