March 31, 2012
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The #4 Arizona State University water polo team fell to #2 Stanford on Saturday, 12-8, in Palo Alto, Calif.
The Sun Devils fell to 20-5 on the season with the loss and are now 2-3 in MPSF competition. ASU trailed by just one at halftime, but was outscored 6-3 over the final two frames as Stanford improved to 17-1 and 3-0 in MPSF play.
ASU was paced early by four first-half goals from freshman Anna Kertes as she nearly single-handedly kept the Sun Devils in the game in the first half.
After an early goal for the Cardinal's Kaley Dodson just thirty seconds into the game, Kertes tied things up at one with her first goal at the 5:36 mark of the first period.
Stanford then reeled off two more goals to go ahead 3-1 before Kertes found the back of the net for a second time at the 6:16 mark in the second. Senior Mariam Salloum followed with a goal of her own about a minute later to even things at three.
Stanford's Ashley Grossman and Kertes than exchanged back-to-back-to-back-to-back goals over a span of two-and-a-half minutes with the Hungarian natives fourth goal tying things at five with 1:24 left in the half. Cassie Churnside found the back of the net just 11 seconds later, however, and the Cardinal entered the half with a 6-5 advantage.
Kertes was unable to find her scoring touch for the remainder of the game and the Sun Devils managed just three more goals over the final two frames as Stanford pulled away for the victory.
ASU goalkeeper Ianeta Hutchinson had seven saves on the contest.
The Sun Devils will have little time to think about the loss as the team will be right back in the pull tomorrow against #10 San Jose State in San Jose, Calif., for another MPSF matchup and a chance to tie the school record for wins should ASU come out victorious. Fans should be advised that the opening whistle is set for Noon PT as opposed to the 1 p.m. start time that had been announced earlier this year.
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