Sun Devils Turn Up the Defense
March 24, 2015 MPSF Women's Water Polo Release 10
ARIZONA STATE (15-5 Overall, 2-1 MPSF) posted an MPSF victory over San Jose State, 12-4, last Saturday (Mar. 21) in the home opener in Tempe. Daisy Carter and Petra Pardi tallied four goals apiece, a career-high for the former, while MPSF saves per game leader E.B. Keeve collected 16 in the win. Keeve added 14 saves in the 12-5 win over Indiana (Mar. 22) as part of the ASU Invitational, in which Pardi and Izabella Chiappini each scored three times, and the latter dishing a career-high four assists. Keeve stopped 11 shots and allowed just five in the loss to Long Beach State in the second Sun Devil game that day, finishing with 41 for the week (13.67 S/G). Pardi finished the invitational with nine goals.
USC (17-2 Overall, 1-1 MPSF) Monica Vavic combined for seven goals and Ionana Haralabidis six through two wins in Honolulu, 10-1 over Hawaii (Mar. 20) and 22-3 over Pomona-Pitzer (Mar. 19). The seven goals for Vavic brings her career total to 264, four away from the MPSF's No. 4 all-time spot, and 22 away from Molly Smith's (Pacific, 1997-00) conference record. Vavic is the MPSF scoring leader this year with 73 goals (3.84 GPG).
SAN JOSE STATE (18-7 Overall, 0-3 MPSF) won a Sunday doubleheader in the Arizona State Invitational (Mar. 22), routing Redlands 20-1 and Hartwick, 21-7. Clara Espar Llaquet combined for nine goals in the two wins, and finished the week with 10, including the contest vs. ASU. Rae Lekness added five goals vs. Hartwick. Kelli Leabo and McKenna Yates shared a game-high four goals each vs. Redlands, while goalkeeper Sara Northam was credited with 10 saves in her season debut.
STANFORD (15-1 Overall, 1-0 MPSF) defeated Harvard last Friday (Mar. 20), 23-7, as Maggie Steffens and Ashley Grossman each scored five goals. Dani Jackovich added each of her four goals in the fourth quarter. The 23 goals for the Cardinal was a program-high since also scoring 23 at the 2010 NCAA Championships against Pomona-Pitzer. Stanford travels to Arizona State for its second conference game Saturday (Mar. 28), before hosting UC Davis the next day (Mar. 29).
CSU BAKERSFIELD (12-11 Overall, 0-2 MPSF) was off last week. Niki De Leon and Bridgette Souza each scored three times in a 14-8 home win over Azusa Pacific (Mar. 11). Brittany Tyra had 10 saves in the win. Kristen Jensen and Nicola Barrett also scored hat tricks in the first game to that doubleheader against Wagner.
CALIFORNIA (15-4 Overall, 1-1 MPSF) was off last week. Emily Loughlin hit the sudden-victory overtime game-winner for a 10-9 MPSF decision at San Jose State (Mar. 14). Roser Tarrago scored three goals, had two steals, and one assist. Each of her three goals were timely. Tarrago put the Bears up for the first time at 4-3 in the second quarter, then again at 6-5, and finally one in overtime at 9-8. Kindred Paul tied the game at 3-3 after Cal had initially fell behind 3-0.
UCLA (17-1 Overall, 3-0 MPSF) was off last week. Kodi Hill recorded her third hat trick of the season, scoring all three goals in the second quarter of a 17-3 MPSF home win over CSU Bakersfield (Mar. 14). The hat trick came in the midst of a 10-0 Bruin run. Devin Grab added two goals and drew a pair of exclusions, on her way to her second newcomer of the week honor. Goalkeeper Sami Hill collected six saves to run her MPSF top-10 career total to 857.