No. 21 San Diego State water polo opened Golden Coast Conference (GCC) play dominantly, securing a 22-14 victory over California Baptist at the Aztec Aquaplex on Friday afternoon. Sophomore Mimi Stoupas led the offensive charge with six goals, matching her season high, as the Aztecs (6-3, 1-0 GCC) put together a commanding performance in their home opener.
“I feel like this game, especially, we all came together, and our team defense led us to put the board up the way we did,” Stoupas said. “We communicated a lot more than normal, and the balls that came in were nice, so I could finish them off.”
SDSU started strong with early goals from Claudia Valdes and Stoupas in the opening minute, but the Lancers (6-7, 0-1 GCC) responded quickly to level the score at 2-2. The teams exchanged goals throughout the first quarter before Amanda Chambers’ strike in the final minute gave the Aztecs a 5-4 edge—an advantage they would never relinquish.
San Diego State broke the game open in the second quarter, unleashing a six-goal run to take an 11-4 lead. Stoupas sparked the surge with back-to-back goals, followed by scores from Valdes, Sammi Byers and Shannon Murphy. Despite a late push from CBU, Megan Holcomb’s goal with six seconds left sent the Aztecs into halftime with a 12-7 advantage.
“I feel like we kind of just locked in and knew what we had to get done,” Stoupas said of the team’s mentality in crucial moments. “Pulling away was just everyone working together well and focusing on keeping it simple.”
The Lancers cut the deficit to three early in the third, but SDSU quickly regained control. Stoupas and Rose Kanemy tallied key goals to keep CBU at bay, and Sydney Gish’s second strike of the game helped the Aztecs maintain a 15-11 lead heading into the final frame.
San Diego State sealed the victory with a dominant fourth quarter, outscoring CBU 7-3. Sofia Righetti opened the scoring, and the Aztecs poured in four straight goals, extending the lead to 19-11. Stoupas capped off her stellar performance with her sixth goal, while Valdes and Murphy added late insurance tallies to secure the emphatic win.
“It was really great to see our team come together today,” Stoupas said. “Our defense created a lot of opportunities for us, and we communicated well. That made it easy to finish the shots I had.”
Senior goalkeeper Ava Ratajczak, who spent two seasons at CBU before transferring to SDSU, recorded six saves and three steals in the victory. Her familiarity with the Lancers played a key role in her performance.
“Training with them for two years, I know their tendencies, but they also know mine,” Ratajczak said. “It was about staying focused and communicating with my defense. We did a great job of supporting each other today.”
SDSU head coach Dana Ochsner praised her team’s execution, particularly on both ends of the pool.
“We’ve been emphasizing team defense and offensive flow in practice, and today, it really came together,” Ochsner said. “Scoring 22 goals in a conference game is huge, and having nine different goal scorers shows the depth we have. We had great awareness defensively, especially against some of their key players, and I was really proud of our effort.”
Ochsner also highlighted Stoupas’ impact, particularly her efficiency in tight spaces.
“She’s always working hard, and today, I could really see stuff that we had talked about and worked on in our center play. Quick, fast shots, putting it in the back of the net, and being available for her teammates,” Ochsner said. “It’s so nice to have a center who is such a big threat because it really opens up so many things for us offensively.”
The Aztecs then capped off a strong home opening weekend with a 13-10 victory over No. 23 Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday afternoon at Aztec Aquaplex. The win marked the Aztecs’ second of the weekend, improving their record to 7-5.
Sofia Righetti and four of her teammates each scored twice, leading the charge offensively for SDSU. Joining Righetti with a pair of goals were Amanda Chambers, Sydney Gish, Rose Kanemy, and Claudia Valdes. Megan Holcomb, Luna Sarmiento and Mimi Stoupas each added a goal, rounding out the Aztecs’ offensive effort. Kanemy and Stoupas also contributed with two assists apiece.
“I think we were really good at pushing the counter and especially each other,” Kanemy reflected on the team’s performance. “We picked it up again in the fourth, and we just did a really good job playing for each other and looking for that extra pass.”
The Aztecs’ goalkeeper rotation played a crucial role in the win, with each of the team’s three goalies seeing action. Tiaare Ahovelo, who made the start, earned the victory after stopping six shots and allowing five goals in the first half. Ava Ratajczak took over in the third period, saving one shot while allowing two goals. Mandy Lagerlof closed out the game with a save and three goals allowed in the final eight minutes.
San Diego State opened the game strong with Kanemy scoring the first goal at the 6:57 mark. Pomona-Pitzer quickly responded to tie it 1-1, but Righetti gave SDSU the lead once more with a goal at 6:06. Kanemy followed with another goal, and Sarmiento added one more before the quarter ended, giving SDSU a 4-1 advantage. Despite a late surge by Pomona-Pitzer, who scored twice in the final 1:28 of the first period, the Aztecs carried a 4-3 lead into the second quarter.
Chambers extended SDSU’s lead to 5-3 with a goal just nine seconds into the second period. Stoupas and Righetti followed with goals, while Pomona-Pitzer kept it close, scoring twice before halftime. SDSU went into the break with a 7-5 lead.
The third quarter saw the Aztecs pull away with four unanswered goals. Gish netted back-to-back goals, and Chambers and Valdes followed suit, with Valdes’ goal turning out to be the game-winner. Pomona-Pitzer responded with two goals, but the Aztecs maintained an 11-7 lead heading into the final quarter.
Pomona-Pitzer made a push in the fourth, cutting the lead to 11-8, but Valdes quickly answered to restore a three-goal cushion. Despite a late rally by the Sagehens, who scored twice in the final 38 seconds, Holcomb sealed the victory with a goal as time expired, securing a 13-10 win for SDSU.
“We were just really trying to convince ourselves to minimize our mistakes,” Kanemy noted. “They’re a team that we’ve played a lot, and we know how they play. It was a lot of hard work, and it was really more about adjusting to their style of play.”
In a game that featured intense back-and-forth action, the Aztecs’ teamwork and ability to adjust to Pomona-Pitzer’s pressure ultimately propelled them to victory.
The Aztecs won’t play again until Feb. 28 when they participate in the Claremont Convergence with their first matchup being against Chapman at 12:45 p.m.
