(Tempe, AZ) The #10 Sun Devil Water Polo (2-0) opened the season in sweep fashion with back-to-back 17-goal games over California Baptist and Azusa Pacific on day one of the Cross Conference Challenge to start the 22-23 campaign undefeated. Day two takes place tomorrow at the Sun Devil Fitness Complex where ASU will face Biola (0-2) at 12:20 pm MST. There will be no stream, but live stats are available here.
Head Coach Petra Pardi praised the all-around team victory, “Everybody coming off the bench and bringing a lot of energy and focus contributed towards the wins.”
The Sun Devils outscored their opponents 34-11 on the day, good for a +23 goal differential, and never saw a deficit thanks to 10 Sun Devil scorers.
Luca Petovary led all scorers and had a near repeat performance of her 2021 10-goal opening day during her freshman campaign, when she notched 10 goals in the 2021 doubleheader against No. 17 SDSU. Today, Petovary had nine goals with three assists for 11 points, which is nearly a third of her goal total last season, where she recorded 32 goals.
Other top names on the score sheet were some of Tempe’s newest faces– Tina Dohertyand Juliette Dhalluin– each having dominating performances for the first time in the maroon and with seven goals and four assists in two games for Doherty, and Dhalluin with seven goals and three assists.
Three of the four goalies on the roster saw time in the water with Itzahiana Baca starting in net against the Lancers and combining with Alexa Knutson to allow just five goals on 24 shots. Knutson got the start against APU and allowed just one goal in her 16 minute appearance. Baca and Marie Rudasics split the second half of play and allowed five goals.
After the battle against Biola, ASU faces the No. 7 Michigan Wolverines on Sunday, January 15 at 9 am MST. The game will be broadcast via the Arizona State live stream.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Claudia Schwartz, Media Relations Student Assistant
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