By Michael Mirer
Enterprise staff writer
STANFORD – Casey Hines, with some help from the goal posts behind her, stood tall as the UC Davis women’s water polo team swam into uncharted waters. The Aggies held off San Diego State 9-8 on Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament at Avery Aquatics Center.
Hines made six saves, as UCD prevented a talented Aztec offensive team. San Diego State hit the woodwork a number of times, which proved frustrating for a team that boasted two players with more than 70 goals and two more with more than 40.
“You just go one at a time,” said Hines, a sophomore who redshirted two years ago when the Aggies last reached the NCAA Tournament. “Every time I got the ball in my hands and they were swimming away, it was like, that’s one less time, that’s 30 less seconds, that’s one step closer to the end of the game.”
Davis High graduate Christi Raycraft and Lindsay Kiyama each scored three goals for the Aggies.
Kiyama scored twice in the fourth quarter to help the Aggies salt the away the game. Her goal at the far post off a slick cross from Jessica Soza with 6 minutes, 27 seconds remaining made it 7-5 after SDSU had pulled to within one. Kiyama’s six-on-five goal with 1:43 left looked like insurance, but proved to be vital as the Aztecs surged late.
SDSU scored three times in the final 2:20 of the game, but still came up short.
“I knew it was going to a one- or two-goal type of a game,” UCD head coach Jamey Wright said. “We got just enough stops. Casey played an amazing game. She’s done that all year long.”
UCD never trailed Friday, which Hines said made it a little easier to hang in against San Diego State’s determined shooters. She faced 27 shots and pronounced herself frustrated with a couple that got in. But having that advantage was a source of confidence much of the night.
“It helps,” Hines said. “Every time we block it and I get the ball, then you exhale. You still have your lead. You know when it gets to the end of the game, every inch they get, they’re going to take a shot.”
Jenna Schuster, who led the Aztecs with 76 goals this season, scored three for San Diego State.
The Aggies are the first non-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation team to reach the second round of the tournament since 2004. Fifth-seeded UCD earned itself a date with undefeated UCLA (31-0) on Saturday. The Bruins beat little Pomona Pitzer 19-6 in opening-round play earlier Friday.
The Aggies (27-8) haven’t played the Bruins since Feb. 25, 2006, when they lost 10-1 at the Gaucho Invitational in Santa Barbara.
“We’re not going to go out without a fight,” Raycraft said.
Ashley Chandler added two goals for the Aggies
The Aztecs, meanwhile, were left to lament too many missed opportunities. They hit the posts and crossbar a number of times in the first half.
“We were all over that little three-inch crossbar today,” San Diego State coach Carin Crawford said. “We got within and then would give one up. We went down by three and then we really started to take our chances. To lose a game where you don’t feel like you’ve been completely outplayed is frustrating. But credit to Davis, they absolutely put their shots away.”
Notes: Davis High graduate Heather West scored a goal Friday in Stanford’s 12-1 win over Marist. USC topped Michigan 12-3. The Cardinal and the Women of Troy will play in Saturday’s second semifinal at 5:45 p.m. … For the program, it was the first team victory in NCAA competition since 2003, when the Aggie women’s rowing team won the Division II national championship.
--Reach Michael Mirer at mmirer@davisenterprise.com
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