49ers Travel to USC in Key MPSF Matchup
The Beach Has Not Played Since March 25
April 6, 2005 National Statistics
LBSU Statistics TOPS OF THE MPSF
A good offense will meet a great defense this Saturday when the No. 5-ranked 49ers (15-4, 7-1 MPSF) travel to offensive-minded No. 2-ranked USC (15-3, 6-1 MPSF) for a key conference matchup on Saturday at noon . The Beach with four conference games remaining, can secure a top-four finish with the win. LBSU has already knocked off Stanford this season and can put pressure on top-ranked and undefeated UCLA (7-0) with a win over the Women of Troy. The 49ers, who continue their best start in school-history, have won seven of their last eight, while USC has won four straight. A LOOK AT USC
The Women of Troy enter the week at 15-3 and 6-1 in the MPSF, ranking second nationally in scoring at just over 11 goals per game. Brittany Hayes' 31 goals ranks 15th in the conference and 39th nationally, while USC is allowing just under six goals a game which is 10th nationally. This will be the first meeting with the Women of Troy since last year's 8-5 loss in the MPSF Semifinals. USC has won all 22 meetings all-time. RUNNING THE SHIP
Ricardo Azevedo is in his sixth season as the head coach of both the men's and women's water polo teams. On the women's side, LBSU has achieved three school-records for total victories having gone 113-70 in his five-plus seasons. Azevedo was named the MPSF's Coach of the Year in 2003 after The Beach set a school-record with a 24-8 mark. The 49ers followed that up with a 21-9 mark last season, it's first back-to-back 20-win season in school-history. This year also marked a first for the program as The Beach were ranked as high as No. 3 nationally earlier this year.
DOING IT WITH DEFENSE
The 49ers' bread and butter is defense as the team ranks eighth in the nation in least goals around and third in the MPSF. The team's 5.4 goals per game allowed starts in the net and with goalie Bri Hawkins (San Diego), the school's all-time saves lead with 782 saves, who ranks 11th nationally with 160 saves this season. Hawkins, the MPSF's Player of the Week two weeks ago, has tallied eight double digit save games this season, including in three of the last four. Junior Tara Campbell (Montreal) has also kept opponents off balance, grabbing a team-best 31 steals giving her 98 in her career. Should she get just two more steals, she will join Cassie Azevedo as one of just two 49ers with 100 career steals. AZEVEDO CONTINUES TO LEAD THE CHARGE
Junior attacker Cassie Azevedo (Long Beach/Wilson HS) contiues to lead the 49ers in scoring, having notched at least two goals in each of the team's past eight games. Azevedo currently ranks 17th in the nation with 42 goals, which is good enough for fifth-best in the MPSF. A two-time MPSF Player of the Week this season, the third team All-American is shooting 39 percent from the pool and has grabbed 19 steals and 19 assists. INTO THE PASSING LANE
Junior Alison Braden (Calgary) has the knack for the open player, leading the squad with 30 assists this season, while also tallying 19 goals on the season, which is second-best. Braden has also tallied at least two assists nine times, including a career-best five in the team's win at UC Irvine. Braden has three of the top-10 single-season assists records in franchise history.
WAWRZYNSKI HEATS BACK UP
After a quiet stretch that saw her notch just three goals over a span of six games, senior 2-meter Drue Wawrzynski (Los Alamitos) has scored eight goals over her last six games to move into a second place tie in goals scored. Wawrzynski also has 37 earned ejections and is hitting 37 percent of her shots. Wawrzynski has 134 goals in her career, just eight behind Roberta Stewart for fourth-place all-time. MAKING THEM COUNT
The 49ers balanced offense got a boost when Brazilian National Teamer Marina Canetti (Rio de Janeiro) was deemed eligible, as the sophomore has scored 10 goals and hit nearly 48 percent of her shots in 13 games off the bench. Canetti is one of two players converting over 45 percent of their shots on the season, as senior Jessica Levin (Seal Beach) has hit for a team-best 54 percent, scoring 14 goals on the season. | 
