Stockton, Calif. - The Pacific women's water polo team was nipped by San Diego State, 7-6, Saturday afternoon at Chris Kjeldsen Pool. Brydie Pye led Pacific with four goals while Noelle Mann and Gracie Smith also tallied.
Megan Nee posted 11 saves in goal, while San Diego State's Rachel Mitchell stopped nine Pacific shots.
Pye tallied off the post and in for a 1-0 lead on Pacific's first possession. After three saves by each goalkeeper, SDSU's Ioli Benekou went high left corner to tie the game with 2:11 in the first quarter. On the ensuing possession, Rebecca Wright found Noelle Mann on the doorstep and she finished to the lower right for a 2-1 Pacific lead. Caroline Israels' ended the first quarter scoring with a lob shot with 17 seconds left to tie the game at 2-2.
Anique Hermann finished inside the two meter to the near post for a 3-2 lead a the 5:21 mark. Pacific drew a 6-on-5, but the hard shot off the crossbar by Pye rebounded to the middle of the pool, inadvertently starting a San Diego State break. Hermann got ahead of the pack and finished one-on-one withe keeper for a 4-2 lead. The play proved pivotal as the Tigers played catch-up the rest of the way.
Pye's skip shot beat the halftime clock, trimming the Aztecs lead to 4-3 at the half.
Pye knotted the game at 4-4 with a skip shot for the hat trick from outside the five-meter off an assist from Mann. But on the Aztecs ensuing possession, Alyssa Diacono finished an entry pass with a spin shot goal to the lower left corner. Benekou added a 6-on-5 goal to restore a two-goal lead. Pye tallied again, this time with a cross-cage goal on the Tigers next possession.
In the fourth, Taylor Gums snuck a skip shot into the near side off Nee for a 7-5 SDSU lead. On a quick restart after drawing an ejection, Gracie Smith brought the Tigers back to within one with 3:43 to play in regulation.
Elise Martin's shot with 1:27 left sailed high, but the Tigers' posted the stop on defense as Nee swam out for a steal. Smith's shot was high with 59 seconds left, and San Diego State drew the ejection with 28 seconds to play. Pacific's defense posted the steal to set up the last play, but with only 2.3 seconds remaining. The Tigers' restart play skipped through the two-meter without a redirect as the Aztecs held on for the 7-6 win.
Pacific falls to 12-16 overall and 2-4 in Golden Coast Conference play. The Aztecs improve to 21-10, and 5-0 in GCC action. The Tigers have next weekend off and will await their seed in the GCC conference tournament. Pacific will play in quarterfinal action at Loyola Marymount on Friday, April 24.
Scoring Summary
1st
PAC: 1-0 - #10 Brydie Pye - 7:32
SDSU 1-1 - #7 Ioli Benekou - 2:11
PAC: 2-1 - #15 Noelle Mann - 1:23
SDSU 2-2 - #4 Caroline Israels - 0:17
2nd
SDSU 2-3 - #13 Anique Hermann - 5:21
SDSU 2-4 - #13 Anique Hermann - 2:29
PAC: 3-4 - #10 Brydie Pye - 0:10
3rd
PAC: 4-4 - #10 Brydie Pye - 4:39
SDSU 4-5 - #17 Alyssa Diacono - 4:00
SDSU 4-6 - #7 Ioli Benekou - 2:42
PAC: 5-6 - #10 Brydie Pye - 2:20
4th
SDSU 5-7 - #8 Taylor Gums - 5:46
PAC 6-7 - #7 Gracie Smith - 3:43
Goalie Saves (Quarter) -- TOTAL
SDSU Mitchell - 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 -- 10
PAC: Nee - 3 - 2 - 3 - 3 -- 11
6-On-5
SDSU 2-for-6
PAC: 1-for-5
