SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The No. 5 Arizona State University water polo team took care of business in the 2018 season opener, routing Cal Baptist 12-3 at the UCSB Winter Invitational Saturday afternoon at the UCSB Campus Pool.
The Sun Devils were powered offensively all afternoon by the duo of Alkistis Benekou and P.J. Allin. Arizona State's defense, anchored by Mia Rycraw, completely shut down Cal Baptist in the second and third period, holding the Lancers scoreless during that time.
Benekou got the Sun Devils on the board first with a goal early in the first period. She would not be finished scoring, as she contributed frequently to the offensive attack. Maud Koopman would bury a penalty shot later in the period to give the Sun Devils a 2-1 lead after one period.
After Bente Rogge scored early in the second period, Allin would kick start the Arizona State attack with her first goal of the match to give the Sun Devils a 4-1 lead with seven minutes until the half.
Midway through the second quarter, Alkistis Benekou buried her second goal of the afternoon to push the lead to 5-1 with 5:48 left in the period. Goalie Mia Rycraw would take over the rest of the half, providing a steadying force in net for the Sun Devils to the tune of six saves despite only seeing three quarters of action. The Sun Devils would prevent Cal Baptist from finding the back of the net for the rest of the half, taking a 5-1 lead into halftime.
Despite possessing a comfortable lead, ASU came out of the halftime break aggressive. The Sun Devils would rule the period, outscoring the Lancers 4-0 to push their lead to 9-1. Benekou and Allin controlled the period, with each recording a goal early in the period to make it 7-1 ASU. For Benekou, it was her third goal of the evening giving her a hat trick. It would only take a few minutes for Allin to match Benekou, scoring a goal of her own to give the Sun Devils a pair of players with hat tricks. Neither were finished yet. Catherine Simko added a goal of her own at the end of the period, making it 9-1 ASU.
Goalie Belen Ehinger saw her first action as a Sun Devil, replacing Mia Rycraw with ASU leading 9-1, after another strong performance in the net for the senior. Ehinger would complete the rest of the match, finishing with two saves.
Despite already recording hat tricks and the team leading, Benekou and Allin were still hungry for more. They each added an additional goal, their fourth of the game, to make it 11-2. The duo combined to score eight of the Sun Devils 12 goals on the afternoon. Bente Rogge would add her second goal with 2:27 left in the game.
The Sun Devils return to action tomorrow at the UCSB Winter Invitational with a pair of matches. ASU is scheduled to take on Indiana at 10:10 a.m. MT, followed by a match against Michigan at 2:00 p.m. MT. Follow our Twitter and Facebook accounts for updates and visit our website for more information.
Goals: Benekou (4), Allin (4), Rogge (2), Koopman, Simko
Assists: Rogge (2), Koopman (2), Waters (2), Casas, Allin, Reyes
Steals: Allin (4), Cassidy (3), Koopman (3), Reyes (2), Rogge (2), Casas, Huck, Benekou, Simko, Ryrcaw
Saves: Rycraw (6), Ehinger (2)