By Jessica Jimenez — Staff Writer
San Jose State women’s water polo fell to UC Berkley 10-6 in an MPSF matchup Saturday afternoon at West Valley College in Saratoga.
The No. 4 Bears (13-3, 0-1 MPSF) started the first quarter with two power-play goals from sophomores center Kitty Lynn Joustra and attacker Elli Protopapas.
As for the No. 19 Spartans (7-10, 0-1 MPSF), they were scoreless in the first quarter with three exclusions.
Goalkeeper freshman Hannah Henry successfully denied a strong penalty shot taken by Protopapas with 12 seconds left to play in the first.
Cal went on to score three more goals in the second quarter by Joustra, Protopapas and junior attacker Emma Wright. All three goals were on even strength as it had the lead at the halftime mark, 5-0.
SJSU got on the board in the third quarter with a strong defensive line helping freshman utility player Olga Descalzi Portell score on a five-meter penalty shot, as well as scoring a field goal.
Sophomore driver Lili Uvari was able to drive her way to the two-meter line and scored on Cal goalkeeper sophomore Cassidy Ball.
Wright, Protopapas and junior center Hannah DeRose helped the Bears put up three more goals by the end of the third quarter.
An exclusion on Wright left Spartan sophomore 2-meter defender Tyanna Supreme to score on a penalty shot in the fourth quarter.
Seconds later, SJSU freshman 2-meter defender Matilda Moore took a sweep shot and scored on an even strength.
The Spartans took the last goal on a power play with Descalzi Portell shooting her third and final goal of the afternoon.
Junior driver Sierra Painter saw a great outcome in how the Spartans played today.
“It was a team win even though we did not win,” Painter said. “A lot of things went well. We held them to 10 goals and we got on the board a lot and we were playing as a unit, which is something so successful for us since we’ve kind of been in a rut.”
Descalzi Portell feels that the team will deliberate on how to have outstanding wins for next weekend’s tournament in Arizona.
“We’re going to keep practicing every day and pushing each other as a team and not individually,” she said. “Going to Arizona next week, we will see ASU’s playing style and figure out how we can remain on their level throughout the game.”
SJSU heads to Tempe to play three games in the ASU Invitational tournament beginning Saturday, March 30.
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