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The Aztecs dropped two games on the final day of the Princeton Invitational
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
February 18, 2024 (Princeton, N.J.) - The No. 22-ranked San Diego State women’s water polo team got a combined five goals from leading scorer Claudia Valdes in its final two games of the Princeton Invitational, but the Aztecs came away empty handed in a pair of setbacks: 14-8 and 14-7 against No. 19 Wagner and No. 9 Princeton, respectively, on Sunday at DeNunzio Pool on the campus of Princeton University.
The sweep leaves the Aztecs at 7-6 on the season, the most wins for the program through 13 games since the 2013 campaign.
No. 19 Wagner 14, No. 22 San Diego State 8
The Aztecs surrendered five goals in the first quarter and were playing catch-up all game against No. 19 Wagner.
Kendall Houck led SDSU (7-5) with two goals, while Amanda Chambers, Klara Goldstein, Rose Kanemy, Sofia Righetti, Mimi Stoupas, and Claudia Valdes each scored one goal. Tiaare Ahovelo played the first half in goal giving up eight goals against five saves and had a steal and took the loss. Ava Ratajczak was in the cage for the second half and made four saves while allowing six goals and also had a steal.
The teams traded the first four goals of the game. With Wagner up 1-0 after 15 seconds, Stoupas got the equalizer half a minute later. Wagner scored again to go back in front by a goal, only to see Kanemy tie it up with a strike at the 5:46 mark. But the Seahawks (12-2) finished the period with a three-goal barrage and led 5-2 after one.
Righetti got the opening goal of the second quarter, just 20 seconds in, but Wagner got it back 20 seconds later to make it 6-3. Houck scored her first goal with 6:20 to play before the half, but the Seahawks got the final two tallies of the period and led 8-4 at the break.
Coming out of the intermission, Valdes scored at the 5:29 mark to pull the Scarlet and Black back to a three-goal deficit, 8-5, but that was as close as SDSU would get. Wagner scored the final two goals of the period and took a 10-5 lead into the final eight minutes.
After Wagner increased its lead to 11-5 after 27 seconds of the fourth quarter, Houck and Chambers scored at the 5:39 and 4:56 marks, respectively, to make it an 11-7 contest. The Seahawks then tallied three straight strikes before Goldstein got the last goal of the game, with 1:30 left on the clock, for the final score of 14-8.
San Diego State: 2-2-1-3 - 8
Wagner: 5-3-2-4 - 14
San Diego State Goals: Houck (2), Chambers (1), Goldstein (1), Kanemy (1), Righetti (1), Stoupas (1), Valdes (1)
Wagner Goals: Arias (3), Alonso (2), Coleman (2), Navaro (2), Ogg (2), Arias (1), Bland (1), Nash (1)
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (5), Ratajczak (4)
No. 9 Princeton 14, No. 22 San Diego State 7
Claudia Valdes banged the back of the cage four times, but it wasn’t enough in a 14-7 loss to No. 9 Princeton in the final game of the day.
In addition to Valdes’ goals, SDSU (7-6) got tallies from Amanda Chambers, Sydney Gish, and Rose Kanemy. Tiaare Ahovelo played the first 24 minutes in goal and made six saves but was scored on 10 times while also recording a steal and an assist. Ava Ratajczak was inserted into the lineup in the fourth quarter and gave up four goals without recording a save.
Valdes got the scoring going at the 6:31 mark to set SDSU up with a 1-0 lead, but the Tigers got the goal back with 5:03 left on the clock. Valdes then put the Scarlet and Black back up with her second strike of the game, at 3:02, and again Princeton answered to even the score at 2-2, which is what the score was as the teams went to the second quarter.
The second eight minutes, San Diego State was held scoreless, while Princeton (6-2) totaled three goals and led 5-2 at the half.
The Tigers went on a 5-1 scoring streak in the third quarter to make it 10-3 heading into the final period. Princeton scored the first three goals coming out of the break to push its advantage to 8-2 before Valdes stopped the run with her third of the contest with 5:42 left in the quarter. The Tigers got the final two goals of the period and took a seven-goal advantage into the final eight minutes.
In the fourth quarter, after a Princeton tally, SDSU got its fourth straight goal from Valdes, which made it 11-4. The Tigers then scored twice more, and Chambers found the back of the net to make it 13-5 with 3:42 to play. Princeton scored its final goal at the 3:23 mark before Kanemy and Gish hit the back of the net at 1:13 and 20 seconds, respectively, for the final score of 14-7.
San Diego State: 2-0-1-4 - 7
Princeton: 2-3-5-4 - 14
San Diego State Goals: Valdes (4) Chambers (1), Gish (1), Kanemy (1)
Princeton Goals: Krotts (5), Carroll (2), Mallery (2), Carver (1), Davidson (1), Houlahan (1), Riches (1), Yelensky (1)
San Diego State Saves: Ahovelo (6)
THE NOTE
The Aztecs’ seven wins through 13 games are the program’s most since it had eight in the first 13 games in 2013.
THE NOTE II
Claudia Valdes recorded her eighth multi-goal game of the season, which includes her third four goal effort.
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