May 2, 2010

Los Angeles, Calif. - The No. 6 seed San Jose State women's water polo team (17-14) used a defensive stand in the second half to post a 10-9 victory over eighth-seeded Arizona State (16-15) in the seventh-place match of the 2010 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship at Spieker Aquatics Center on the campus of UCLA on Sunday (May 2) morning.

The Spartans got on the board first when Bridget McKee scored her 39th goal of the year on a 6-on-5 opportunity from a great pass from Adriana Vogt at the 7:12 mark of the first period. The Spartans displayed great passing again when Anna Natalizio set up Dani Curran for a one-timer with 6:07 to go in the first that put SJSU up 2-0. Curran's 47th goal of the season got by ASU keeper Dana Harvey. The Sun Devils got on the board with 4:59 remaining when Kelly Phelps scored her 16th of the year, a low skipper past SJSU keeper Meagan Minson to make it 2-1. SJSU responded on the next possession to make it 3-1 when Adriana Vogt fired a shot at the left corner for her 63rd goal of the year. Curran scored her second of the period with a power play goal to put the Spartans up 4-1 with 3:46 to go in the opening period. Curran completed the hat trick in the first period when her penalty shot skipped past Harvey to find the left corner with 2:04 to go in the first that put SJSU up 5-1. Sarah Harris scored her 37th goal of the year when she scored on a 6-on-5 opportunity with 1:10 left to make it 5-2 SJSU. Arizona State scored back-to-back exclusion goals when Bonnie Miles scored her 21st goal of the year with 29 seconds left to end the scoring for the first period with the Spartans leading 5-3.

Mariam Salloum scored her 21st goal of the year on an assist from Kari Walsh to trim the lead to 5-4 with 7:32 left in the second period. Then Walsh scored her 18th goal of the year and ASU's fourth-straight goal when she fired a low skip shot that found the left corner with 6:55 remaining in the second to tie it at 5-5. Curran scored her fourth goal of the day to reclaim the lead at 6-5 for SJSU with 5:53 to go in the second quarter. The Sun Devils tied it at 6-6 with a goal by Lynlee Smith, her 49th of the year, with 2:53 left in the second stanza. ASU took its first lead of the day at 7-6 with 1:08 left in the second when Salloum scored her second of the day, a skip shot near the left post. Kelsey White gave ASU a two-goal lead with an exclusion goal with one second left in the period, giving the Sun Devils an 8-6 lead at the break. It was White's 29th goal of the year.

Janessa Schmidbauer scored her 20th of the season, trimming the lead to 8-7 with a one-timer set up by Allie Stewart with 3:11 remaining in the third period that got past Amanda Young. ASU pushed it back to a two-goal lead when Smith scored her second of the day on a power play with 2:47 left in the third. Then Schmidbauer scored her second of the day with an assist from Vogt at the 1:34 mark of the third, making it 9-8 ASU. Vogt set up another score, this time for Kelly Stewart (sixth of the year), tying it at 9-9 with 30 seconds left.

Vogt broke the 9-9 tie on a breakaway goal with 7:21 left in the fourth period. That was all they needed as Minson and the Spartan defense went to work, shutting out the Sun Devils for the 10-9 win. Minson picked up five saves in the fourth period, including two when the Spartans were short-handed.

Minson finished with 12 saves in the cage for San Jose State while Harvey recorded five in the first half for Arizona State and Young picked up four in the second half for ASU. The Sun Devils' Harris won all four sprints.

No. 8 Arizona State vs. No. 6 San Jose State (MPSF 7th-Place Match)

ASU Goals: Mariam Salloum 2, Lynlee Smith 2, Bonnie Miles, Sarah Harris, Kelsey White, Kari Walsh, Kelly Phelps
ASU Saves: Dana Harvey 5, Amanda Young 4

SJSU Goals: Dani Curran 4, Adriana Vogt 2, Janessa Schmidbauer 2, Kelly Stewart, Bridget McKee
SJSU Saves: Meagan Minson 12