No. 21 San Diego State water polo came away with a 11-9 victory over Fresno State University in the team’s final home game of the season at the Aztec Aquaplex on April 8.
The Aztecs (12-13, 4-1 GCC) were able to withstand the hard fighting Bulldogs (5-15, 2-3 GCC), who kept the match well within reach with three late unanswered goals, despite trailing 11-6 with a little over four minutes to spare in the final period.
The day started by honoring the graduating senior class of 2018, and it was senior Courtney Jarvis along with freshman leading scorer Emily Bennett who sparked a red hot offensive showing for the Aztecs.
Jarvis managed to score two goals and an assist during her final home match, and said that it meant a lot to have a strong outing alongside her senior teammates.
“It meant so much to me. I think it meant more to see my fellow seniors score, especially off assists with each other,” Jarvis said. “We’ve all worked hard these past four years, for it all to show and pay off in the game was pretty exciting.”
Bennett bagged a hattrick in both goals and steals while also grabbing one assist, and the Aztecs leading scorer with 39 goals said that the team came out and executed their game plan.
“Honestly this was the best team performance that I’ve seen,” Bennet said. “Everyone that played gave their all and we played as a team.”
While Fresno gave the Aztecs a scare in the end, time would ultimately be on the Aztecs side as they earned their second consecutive win.
Head coach Carin Crawford had nothing but praise for her team’s performance following the match.
“Considering how we won our last game 3-2, I was thrilled with the offensive output today,” Crawford said. “We were able to put some goals on the board and that really made the difference.”
Crawford said that she was pleased with how the seniors performed on their special day.
“Certainly our seniors played out of their heads,” she said. “It’s really great to see them make such a big impact in the game for us.”
The Aztecs will jump back into the water on April 13, traveling up north to face the University of the Pacific, who also are riding a two game winning streak.
