TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devils got the 2017 season off on the right foot by scoring 34 goals en route a perfect 3-0 record following the first weekend of play.
ASU 13, WAGNER 3
In their first game of Sunday's doubleheader, the Sun Devil water polo team defeated Wagner College, 13-3, at the Mona Plummer Aquatics Center.
Employing a well-balanced attack, seven Devils scored against the Seahawks including senior Alkistis Benekou who led the attack with four goals. Sophomore Maud Koopman followed not far behind with three in the morning contest.
ASU got on the board early, exploiting the Wager defense to create a favorable one-on-one attack with the Sehawks' goalie. Junior Lena Mihailovic got the Sun Devils on the baord in the first period after she sprinted to the goal and muscled a shot into the back of the net. ASU would add three more points in the first frame as Koopman, Claudia Abad and Kayla Casas each netted a goal.
After adding three more goals in the second frame, and five in the third, the Sun Devils tacked on one in the final frame and held Wagner to just one goal over the last two periods of play to close out the, 13-3, victory.
ASU 8, SANTA BARBARA, 4
In a hard-fought battle between two top-ranked teams, the Sun Devil water polo team defeated Santa Barbara, 8-4, on Sunday afternoon at the Mona Plummer Aquatics Center.
In a game dominated by defense, the Sun Devils held the Gauchos to their season-low four goals. Their previous low of four goals came last week against Michigan where they were defeated 7-4.
"Throughout the whole weekend, our defense was what carried us," head coach Todd Clapper said. "Our good defense, the play of Mia [Rycraw] in the goal. Those things are, really, what carried us through."
Junior Lena Mihailovic's offense starred in the back-and-forth affair, as she laced three between the pipes against the Gauchos to total four in the double-header.
A star in game one, senior Alkistis Benekou opened the scoring for ASU in the first frame. However, UCSB quickly struck back with an equalizer 15 seconds later. The two teams fought back-and-forth and went into half time tied at three.
The Devils broke through in the third frame in part by Bente Rogge, who scored two goals, Stephanie Contreras and Maud Koopman who scored one a piece, while holding UCSB scoreless in the third quarter.
Each team added one goal in the fourth quarter, to close out the Sun Devil's 8-4 victory.
ASU 13, WAGNER 3
In their first game of Sunday's doubleheader, the Sun Devil water polo team defeated Wagner College, 13-3, at the Mona Plummer Aquatics Center.
Employing a well-balanced attack, seven Devils scored against the Seahawks including senior Alkistis Benekou who led the attack with four goals. Sophomore Maud Koopman followed not far behind with three in the morning contest.
ASU got on the board early, exploiting the Wager defense to create a favorable one-on-one attack with the Sehawks' goalie. Junior Lena Mihailovic got the Sun Devils on the baord in the first period after she sprinted to the goal and muscled a shot into the back of the net. ASU would add three more points in the first frame as Koopman, Claudia Abad and Kayla Casas each netted a goal.
After adding three more goals in the second frame, and five in the third, the Sun Devils tacked on one in the final frame and held Wagner to just one goal over the last two periods of play to close out the, 13-3, victory.
ASU 8, SANTA BARBARA, 4
In a hard-fought battle between two top-ranked teams, the Sun Devil water polo team defeated Santa Barbara, 8-4, on Sunday afternoon at the Mona Plummer Aquatics Center.
In a game dominated by defense, the Sun Devils held the Gauchos to their season-low four goals. Their previous low of four goals came last week against Michigan where they were defeated 7-4.
"Throughout the whole weekend, our defense was what carried us," head coach Todd Clapper said. "Our good defense, the play of Mia [Rycraw] in the goal. Those things are, really, what carried us through."
Junior Lena Mihailovic's offense starred in the back-and-forth affair, as she laced three between the pipes against the Gauchos to total four in the double-header.
A star in game one, senior Alkistis Benekou opened the scoring for ASU in the first frame. However, UCSB quickly struck back with an equalizer 15 seconds later. The two teams fought back-and-forth and went into half time tied at three.
The Devils broke through in the third frame in part by Bente Rogge, who scored two goals, Stephanie Contreras and Maud Koopman who scored one a piece, while holding UCSB scoreless in the third quarter.
Each team added one goal in the fourth quarter, to close out the Sun Devil's 8-4 victory.