By Thomas Christian (@ThomasGoatnba) — Reporter
San Jose State women’s water polo fell to Arizona State 11-10 in a loss that seems closer on paper than the affair actually was.
On a sunny day in the Spartan Recreation Athletic Center, a hefty crowd soaked in a high-profile Division I water polo matchup. Both SJSU and ASU entered Saturday a game over .500 and were looking to create some much-needed separation in the crowded league standings.
It didn’t take long for the Sun Devils to draw first blood, with Amira Van Buren finding the net just 56 seconds into the competition on ASU’s first possession.
SJSU’s home pool advantage was felt by ASU, however, with what seemed like half the football team filling up the stands. Husky chants of “defense” and “we are Spartans” pushed SJSU to a tying goal just under halfway into the first period.
Anytime the Spartans got even the slightest advantage, the stands erupted into raucous cheers. So when SJSU took the lead with a point-blank finish, a deafening roar awakened any unfortunate freshmen still sleeping off their Friday nights in the dorms above.
SJSU and ASU traded shots on goals down the stretch of the first period, an early sign of the match delivering on its promise of elite competition. Heading into the second period, the score was tied at two apiece.
The Spartans suffered a setback early into the second period when Hannah Henry batted the ball into her own net. Playing aggressively with the lead, the Sun Devils pressed on the fast break, jumping out to a quick 5-2 lead.
Backed into a corner, SJSU’s offense stymied under the pressure. It settled for shots from a distance instead of moving the ball. Quickly, four scoreless trips into ASU territory piled up, and it looked like the Spartans were going to take an ugly loss after ASU scored another two goals.
Right before the door closed completely on an SJSU comeback, the Spartans were rewarded for their persistence with a goal right before halftime. The score going into the break was 7-3.
Coming out of halftime, the Spartans’ crowd was rejuvenated by a quick strike to eat into the deficit. But instead of pressing their advantage, ASU was allowed to answer back by way of some masterful ball movement. The Sun Devils held fast onto their lead, 10-4.
Two quick Spartan goals kept the match interesting down the stretch of the third but were otherwise stymied by some stern officiating by the referee and stout defense by ASU. The period closed at 10-6.
Showing some incredible resolve, SJSU was able to narrow its deficit to just two goals, with the score at 11-9 with two minutes left to go in the fourth period. SJSU’s supporters rallied their squad as much as they could. The crowd was rewarded when Riley Agerbeek found the net with 30 seconds left, bringing the score to 11-10.
Unfortunately, the clock ran out on a potential Spartans’ comeback and the heavy crowd that had kept SJSU in the match was for once silenced. As fans started to file out of the SRAC stands, ASU celebrated its difficult road win and the Spartans regrouped for the week ahead.
The Spartans will take to the pool on March 12 against UC Berkeley. They are currently in sixth place in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a record of 10-9.