(Tempe, AZ) No. 18 Sun Devil Water Polo celebrated Senior Day on a high, securing their first ranked win at home this season with an 11-7 victory over No. 20 San Jose State in the regular season finale at Mona Aquatic Complex Saturday afternoon.
Emily Van Zonneveld fired a hat trick with three goals on a mere three shots and Luca Petovary also scored three times as the Sun Devils (9-12, 1-5) led wire-to-wire in the victory. The four-goal margin of victory was ASU’s largest in its four ranked wins this season.
A three-goal first period and stout defense from Itzahiana Baca in the net early pushed ASU in front. She contributed 12 blocks/saves on a 63.2 save percentage in her final contest at Mona.
“There were a lot of emotions,” said Head Coach Petra Pardi of the pregame mentality. “It’s always a day I love and really dread because we get to honor the journey and the impact all of them have made on this program, but at the same time it’s sad because it’s the last time.”
San Jose State (12-18, 0-6) had the ASU lead down to as few as one early in the third quarter, but ASU’s offense responded with three goals in the third and fourth quarters. Arizona State raised the advantage to as many as five in the fourth quarter on a shot by Sophie Shorter-Robinson with just over two minutes left, putting a dagger in any Spartan comeback hopes.
“Defense is a seven-person effort,” noted Parti. “We wanted to play together, play for each other and for our seniors to honor the journey they have been through. It’s pretty late in the season but we’re starting to get momentum.”
Arizona State got on the board a mere :57 into the contest with a goal from Juliette Dhaluin. The Sun Devils were spared from four shots that just missed or went off the bars in the first five minutes and capitalized on a soft push from Tina Doherty at 2:51, making it 2-0 ASU. Luca Petovary secured another goal off an SJSU penalty at 1:42, extending the first quarter edge to three.
A shot went on target for the Spartans on an advantage but was swatted aside by Petovary. ASU had one more chance to end the frame, but went into the second up three.
The Spartans found their way onto the scoreboard on their first possession in the second quarter, just :54 seconds into the quarter. The longest-scoreless stretch to that point was snapped by Van Zonneveld’s sixth goal of the season at 4:20, 4-1 ASU.
Merely :21 seconds later, San Jose State responded, 4-2 Sun Devils. Van Zonneveld fired again, sniping her second consecutive goal low from the left side and bringing it up to a 5-2 Arizona State lead.
ASU gave up one more going into the half with a 5-3 lead.
The Spartans cut the Sun Devil lead to one with a goal :27 into the second half. On the ensuing possession, Olivia Traxler nailed in her first goal of the contest from the middle of the right side and brought it back to a two-goal lead.
The squads traded goals on successive possessions, the Sun Devil point coming from Petovary. With 5:02 to play in the third, it was 7-5 Sun Devils.
Petovary’s third goal came at 3:46 left in the third quarter, extending the lead to 8-5. Baca denied a point-blank shot attempt inside the final minute of the third period and Arizona State went into the final eight minutes leading by three, 8-5.
Tarah Schaffer extended the ASU lead to a game-high four, 9-5, with a goal at 6:05 left in the fourth. The Spartans responded :61 later and made it 9-6 Sun Devils. Van Zonneveld brought the lead back to four with the 10th Arizona State goal of the contest, 10-6 with 4:26 left in regulation.
Shorter-Robinson scored her first and only goal of the contest with 2:11 left. The Spartans pushed one more across, but ASU held on for the 11-7 victory.
With the regular season complete, Arizona State turns its attention to the MPSF Conference Tournament, where the sixth-seeded Sun Devils face No. 3 UCLA in the quarterfinal round at 12:45 p.m. MST Friday, April 28. The winner advances to Saturday’s semifinals, facing the winner of No. 2 Stanford and No. 7 San Jose State while the loser will play for the sixth-place honor Saturday.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Claudia Schwartz
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