Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Host Two Key MPSF Matchups
3/2/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
49ers Host Two Key MPSF Matchups 2005 Statistics 49ERS HOST TWO THIS WEEKEND: The No. 4-ranked 49er women's water polo team (8-3, 1-0 MPSF) will host two key conference games this weekend when they play host to No. 10-ranked San Jose State (5-8, 0-2 MPSF) on Saturday at noon and No. 3-ranked Stanford (9-2, 2-0 MPSF prior to contest with UC Irvine on Saturday) on Sunday at noon. The Beach are coming off a fourth place showing at last weekend's Daktronics Gaucho Invitational. NINERS TAKE FOURTH IN SANTA BARBARA: Long Beach State was able to finish fourth at the Daktronics Gaucho Invitational last weekend, defeating Redlands (16-5), Michigan (6-4) and Loyola Marymount (7-4) to move into the medal round, before falling by three goals to UCLA (7-4) and two to Stanford (5-3). Bri Hawkins had a solid weekend in net, notching 48 saves, while Cassie Azevedo had seven goals and Marina Canetti debuted with four goals. DEFENSE DOES IT'S JOB: The 49ers enter the week ranked eighth in the nation in defense, allowing just 5.5 goals per game thanks in large part to goalie Bri Hawkins (San Diego). Hawkins topped 700 saves this past weekend and now has 707 in her four-year career after double digit saves totals in each of her last four contests. Hawkins and the 49ers defense limited the nation's top scoring offense, UCLA, to just seven goals and Stanford to just five last weekend in Santa Barbara. Hawkins ranks seventh in the nation with 85 saves this season. AZEVEDO SCORES AT WILL: Junior attacker Cassie Azevedo (Long Beach), the eighth 49er to top the century mark in goals (now with 108), has scored in nine of the team's 11 contests this season. She had a career-best five goals two weeks at UC Irvine. Azevedo, a two-time MPSF Player of the Week this season, is shooting 34 percent on the season with 14 steals and 12 assists, both second-best on the team. The third team All-American has 22 goals this season, ranking 10th in the nation. CANETTI MAKES AN IMPACT: Sophomore Marina Canetti (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was finally deemed eligible and made an immediate impact for the 49ers this past weekend. A member of the Brazilian National Team, Canetti tallied three goals in her first collegiate game against Redlands and finished the tournament with a 50 percent shooting percentage, five steals, nine earned ejections, four goals and two assists. STEALING HER WAY: Junior 2-meter (d) Tara Campbell (Montreal) has been the 49ers top thief this season, stealing a team-best 20 so far this season. Campbell has started all 11 games this season and has also tallied four goals. WAWRZYNSKI TAKES THEM OUT: Senior 2-meter Drue Wawrzynski (Los Alamitos) continues to be a force in the middle for the 49ers this season, earning 22 earned ejections on the season to go along with her 10 goals. Wawrzynski currently has 125 career goals, fifth-best all-time. Wawrzynski is shooting 35 percent on the season. FINDING THE OPEN TARGET: Junior Southpaw Alison Braden (Calgary) has a knack for finding the open player, tallying a team-best 17 assists already this season and 73 in her three-year career. Earlier this season Braden had five assists in a game. Overall in 11 starts Braden has eight goals, fifth-best on the team. GORDIN TARGETS THE NET: Senior Robyn Gordin (Cerritos) thanks to four goals against Loyola Marymount has moved into second place on the team with 12 goals. Gordin has 68 goals in her four-year career, tallying a career-high 25 last season. Gordin is shooting 31 percent from the field in 2005. RUNNING THE SHIP: The 49ers are under the leadership of sixth-year Head Coach Ricardo Azevedo, who has led The Beach to No. 4 national rankings in each of the past three seasons and an overall record of 106-69. The Beach have produced back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history, going 21-9 last season after going 24-8 in 2003. Azevedo, who also coaches the men's team, was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's co-Coach of the Year in 2003. |
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