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No. 1 USC Gets 16th Win In A Row With 6-4 Victory Over No. 9 San Jose State
March 10, 2006 LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -- The top-ranked USC women's water polo team took a first-half lead that proved crucial against a defensive-minded San Jose State squad, as the Women of Troy posted win No. 15 of 2006 with a 6-4 victory over the visiting Spartans. Junior Brittany Hayes notched her second straight three-goal game for the Women of Troy to help USC to a 16-0 overall record and 5-0 mark in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. No. 9 San Jose State moves to 6-9, 2-3. On a chilly night at McDonald's Swim Stadium, the Trojans were slow on the scoring front throughout the game. USC took a 1-0 lead in the first period with a 6-on-5 score from Hayes, but that was all the scoring either team could muster in the frame. The Women of Troy managed two more scores to open the second period, first on a sharp 2-meter score from Kami Craig and then another 6-on-5 strike from Hayes with a nearside skip to get USC up 3-0. Alexis Higlett got the Spartans on the board at the 2:14 mark, but Lauren Wenger rifled in a score from the top on USC's next possession for a 4-1 USC lead at the half. San Jose State's Rachel Rhodes sandwiched a pair of goals around Hayes' third score of the night to make it a 5-3 game. Hayes' third goal had come off a sharp 6-on-5 cross pass from Patty Cardenas, but the Spartans answered back with Rhodes' one-touch score in front of the cage. USC's 4-for-4 effort on player advantages didn't not roll into its next opportunity, however, with a save from SJSU goalie Kendra Adama that fed in the Spartan counterattack. Cardenas shut down that chance, however, and Craig came up with a steal at two meters. Anna Pardo put her defensive skills to work on San Jose State's next possession, and then Wenger pulled up on USC's counterattack strike, plunging in a perimeter score to make it 6-3 USC going into the fourth period. The Trojans were unable to get to the back of the net in that frame, however, while Higlett scored a long bomb with the shot clock expiring to cut USC's lead to 6-4 with two minutes to go, and that score stood until the final buzzer. USC next faces Hawai'i in Honolulu on Saturday (March 18) at 4:40 p.m. Hawaii Time. No. 1 USC 6, No. 9 San Jose State 4 SJSU 0 - 1 - 2 - 1 -- 4SCORING: USC -- Brittany Hayes 3, Lauren Wenger 2, Kami Craig. SJSU -- Alexis Higlett 2, Rachel Rhodes 2. SAVES: Whitney Morgan (USC) 3, Krissy Hansell (SJSU) 4, Kendra Adama (SJSU) 4. 6-on-5 ADVANTAGES:
USC -- 4 of 7
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