Spring Break
Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, thrashed by water polo in double header
Joseph Weaver, Daily Staff Writer
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San Jose State University, ranked fifth in the nation by the Collegiate Water Polo
Associationís preseason poll, opened its season on Saturday at the Aquatics Center with victories of 18-1 against Santa Clara and 16-2 against UC Santa Cruz.
In the first match of the day against the Santa Clara Broncos, the Spartans quickly took control. They scored seven goals in 5:26 for a 7-0 lead after the first seven minutes.
The game didnít get any closer as SJSU added six more goals in the second quarter, two in the third and three in the fourth.
ìWe played really well as a team,î Christine Welsh, a sophomore two-meter player said. ìThese kinds of games give us a chance to work on some things for later on in the season.î
The Broncos did manage a power-play goal with 3:56 left in the match to break up
the Spartan shutout bid.
SJSU received offense from a variety of sources. Senior All-American Inna
Fedoseyeva tallied three goals in the opener. The rest of the offense came from two goals each by Christine Scott, Neva West, Allison Kurvers and Welsh. They also got goals from Jessamyn Grewal, Stefanie Le Sueur, Mary Beth Cox, Lisa Covey, Katie Hansen, Jamie Schneider and Laura Scott.
ìOffensively, our two-meter players (Christine) Scott and Welsh played very good games,î head coach Lou Tully said. ìDefensively, the entire team played real well.î
In the second match, UC Santa Cruz briefly challenged SJSU, but the Banana Slugs eventually succumbed to an onslaught of Spartan goals.
After a pair of West goals for the Spartans opened the gameís scoring, UC Santa Cruz was able pose a brief threat for SJSU.
The Banana Slugs scored a pair of goals in 1:18 late in the first quarter to cut the Spartans lead to 3-2.
That was as close as the Slugs were able to come.
The Spartans received another goal from West with 51 seconds remaining in the opening period that allowed them to take a 4-2 lead after one quarter.
SJSU never looked back from that point. The team scored 12 unanswered goals in the final three quarters to run the final score to 16-2.
SJSUís offense against UC Santa Cruz was led by five goals from Welsh, four goals from West, a second hat trick of the day by Fedoseyeva and single tallies by Grewal, senior Erin Kelly, Christine Scott and Laura Scott.
ìWeíre really excited about this season,î Christine Scott said. ìOur team has very good chemistry. I really think this team has the ability to do some amazing things this year.î
The water polo teamís next match is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Aquatics Center against UC Davis.
