Stockton, Calif. - The No. 12 Pacific women's water polo team was topped by No. 18 San Diego State in a battle for first in the Golden Coast Conference Saturday on a rainy day at Chris Kjeldsen Pool.
Pacific received two goals each from Viktoria Szmodics, Karolina Hlavaty, and Rachel Krueger, while Ellen Tiedemann also tallied for the Tigers.
But San Diego State goalkeeper Rachel Mitchell made 14 saves to keep the Aztecs in first place in the GCC at 5-0, and 13-13 overall.
Pacific falls to 3-1 in GCC play, 11-15 overall.
The Tigers started strong, building a 4-2 lead as Szmodics ripped home a shot to the top right corner off a restart 47 seconds in for a 1-0 lead. But Caroline Israels answered back for the Aztecs, finishing to the top left from five meters away. After Tiedemann scored cross-cage in transition, Israels repeated her first goal, tying the game at 2-2.
In the second quarter, Krieger acted a pass from Szmodics inside the two-meter and spun home a go-ahead goal and then make it 4-2 with a shot from four meters out, beating Mitchell cross-cage.
Israel scored to the lower right from five meets away, bringing the Aztecs to within a goal, but Hlavata fired home a shot to the top right off a restart at the 3:57 mark. The Aztecs cut Pacific's lead to 5-4 as Tayla Walsh converted a backhand from two-meters out and Katie Schneider also tallied inside to tie the game at 5-5.
The Aztecs took the lead for the first time as Makena Magro tapped home an entry lob from inside the two-meter line on the 6-on-5 as San Diego State led 6-5 at halftime.
In the third, Hlavata grabbed an entry pass from Krieger and finished cross-cage to tie the game at 6-6. Pacific went back on top, 7-6, as Szmodics ripped a shot from the top into the right corner from four meters out.
But the Aztecs reeled off four straight third quarter goals, as the tables turned when Hlavata picked up her third exclusion and could not return. Walsh slipped to the net and capped off a Hannah Carrillo pass to tie the game. With 3:20 to go in the period, Israels scored her fourth, lobbing a shot over Hollinrake as she charged out in transition to try and cut down the angle.
The Aztecs stretched the lead to 9-7 as Taylor Gums finished to the right side of the net from inside the two-meter and Gums capped the scoring with her second of the game as the game headed into the fourth.
The Tigers continued their streak of not allowing a fourth quarter goal in GCC play, but Mitchell kept the Tigers off the board in the fourth as well.
Pacific hit the frame of the goal five times in the fourth quarter, while Mitchell made a pair of saves and recorded a steal.
Hollinrake shut out the Aztecs in the fourth, making four saves with a steal in the quarter. For the game, Hollinrake finished with eight saves and six steals.
Pacific will be back in action next weekend with three games at Chris Kjeldsen Pool. The Tigers meet Azusa Pacific on Friday at noon and face Concordia Saturday at noon in GCC match-ups. Pacific will play host to No. 6 UC Irvine on Sunday at 11 a.m. in a non-conference game following Senior Day activities.
