ASU Women’s Water Polo: Sun Devils advance to MPSF semifinals after win over Cal

Photo: (Susan Wong/WCSN)

Four unanswered goals to end the first half broke the game open and led to a 12-8 victory for No. 5 Arizona State Women’s Water Polo over No. 4 California in Tempe Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships.

After Cal’s freshman attacker Maryn Dempsey scored to make it a 4-3 ASU lead just over a minute into the second period, the Sun Devils would hold the Golden Bears scoreless for the remainder of the half.

A pair of goals from sophomore defender Lara Kiss and single goals by junior attackers Borbala Kekesi and Blaire McDowell extended the ASU lead to 8-3 at the half. From there, ASU never looked back.

It took the Sun Devils just 28 seconds into the game to get on the board when All-MPSF Honorable Mention senior center Amira Van Buren scored from inside the two-meter line to give them a 1-0 lead. Just two minutes later, it was immediately extended to 2-0 thanks to MPSF All-Newcomer freshman attacker Luca Petovary’s score.

After McDowell made it a three goal Sun Devil lead, Dempsey got the Golden Bears on the board just 30 seconds later to get them back in business. The two goal lead would hold on to end the first period after Kekesi and junior center Kitty Lynn Joustra traded goals for ASU and Cal, allowing the Sun Devils to hold on to a 4-2 lead. The entirety of the opening period was played at even strength.

Just 33 seconds into the third period, Petovary scored her second goal of the game to extend the lead to 9-3. California finally got on the board in the third period with 2:21 left thanks to junior attacker Elli Protopapas, who cut the deficit to five. After a steal, senior attacker Brigit Mulder turned it into offense to bring the Golden Bears within striking distance at 9-5 Sun Devils.

With just 30 seconds to play in the period, Cal’s sophomore utility Shea Salvino fouled All-MPSF First-Team senior defender Bente Rogge inside the five-meter line to give Rogge a five-meter penalty shot in which she converted to give ASU a 10-5 lead heading into the final period.

After the teams traded goals to begin the final stanza, both would go into scoring droughts as defense would dominate for the majority of the period. With time on ASU’s side, Cal needed to mount a comeback. Lynn Joustra scored two quick goals in a minute to cut the Sun Devil lead to 11-8 with 1:43 remaining.

With 41 seconds left, the final dagger was scored by Kiss after the Sun Devils ran down the shot clock.

ASU will take on No. 1 USC tomorrow afternoon in the MPSF Semi Finals with the winner taking on the victor of UCLA-Stanford in the conference championship.