Sun Devils sweep ASU invitational to improve to 4-0

(Photo Casey Smith/WCSN)

TEMPE — Arizona State water polo continued its strong start to the season, winning its final two games of the ASU Invitational on Sunday. The Sun Devils defeated California Baptist University and No. 15 UC Davis, improving to 4-0 in their season-opening weekend.

“I’m excited for what they showed,” ASU head coach Petra Pardi said. “It is clear that they still need experienced players around them to guide them, challenge them, communicate, and direct them in the water a little bit.”

No.13 ASU (4-0) defeated UC Davis in its first game of the day, 10-8, and then cruised past CBU, 16-10. The Sun Devils showed great passing and executed a transitional style of water polo that allowed them to utilize their speed against both opponents, particularly against the Lancers.

The Sun Devils also played high-level situational defense, holding No. 15 UC Davis to a mere eight goals. On Saturday, UCD scored a combined 38 goals in two contests, but in its match with ASU, the Aggies were held to just eight — a testament to both ASU’s defense and the play of junior goalkeeper Sanne Keijzer.

“Let alone her being an incredible goalie for us, which is arguably the most important position in water polo, she is an amazing teammate,” Pardi said. “She’s one of our captains. If you ever needed to point out who an incredible teammate is and who is purely doing everything she ever does for the team, it’s her.”

UCD got off to a quick start, scoring twice within the first few minutes, before ASU capitalized on sloppy play from the Aggies. Sophomore attacker Kelly Hungerford scored with the help of an exclusion penalty. Redshirt junior 2-meter defender Molly Glad scored on a 5-meter shot, and freshman attacker Ani Pamp found the back of the net from midline, giving ASU the lead.

Then, the ASU defense took over. The Sun Devils held UCD scoreless for 13 minutes of game time and entered halftime having only conceded two goals. Junior center Sophie Shorter-Robinson and freshman attacker Itziar Almeda added a pair of goals, and ASU entered halftime with a three-goal lead.

The Sun Devils appeared to be in cruise control as the teams traded goals in the third quarter. However, a late Aggie goal on a 5-meter shot put them in striking distance, making it a two-goal game heading into the fourth quarter. ASU still lacked chemistry, something common for such a young team.

“I think we need to work on how we mesh together and the timing of our offensive attacks,” junior 2-meter defender Zoe Frangieh said. “As we work at practice, we’re just going to start to learn each other’s tendencies a little better, and it’ll all flow a little nicer as time goes on.”

The score became 8-6 ASU after both teams added a goal, and after Almeda stretched the lead to three again, it seemed that would be all she wrote. UCD had other plans, however, continuously firing shots at ASU’s goalkeeper, Keijzer.

UCD scored twice in quick succession, making it once again a one-goal game, before Frangieh gave ASU an insurance goal, securing the win for the Sun Devils.

“I think we’re growing our resilience. I like the way they showed up for this opening tournament and for the first four games,” Pardi said. “Resilience is huge for our team. It’s something that we talk about often in practice.”

The second game of the day against CBU was unequivocally the Shorter-Robinson and junior attacker Millie Quin show. They dominated their California opponents, scoring a combined nine goals. Shorter-Robinson had a first-half hat trick, and Quin showcased all aspects of her game.

Even with a big game from two of its stars, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for ASU. CBU kept it close with the home side throughout the first half and was able to run its offense effectively.

“I would say the biggest takeaway is that we need a bit more defensive focus, especially with our shot blocks,” Frangieh said. “We need to have the highest intensity at all times. Rather than playing through the ups and downs, we need a little more consistency with our energy.”

ASU elevated its level of play as the match neared its end, eventually winning 16-10.

Up next for ASU is a trip to Hawaii for the Hawaii Invitational, where they will face Biola University (Calif.), LMU, and the University of Hawaii.

“We would love to come and win that tournament as well,” Pardi said. “However, the realistic expectation for us is to continue to put the puzzle pieces together, continue to test our roster, continue to test our lineups, and test our goalies.”