No. 13 Indiana water polo looked to bounce back at the Aztec Invite on March 9-10 after a tough 13-9 loss March 2 to No. 1 University of California, Los Angeles.
Indiana recovered at the Aztec Invite in San Diego, California, going 4-0 over the weekend and earning two top-25 wins.
Indiana vs. San Diego State
On Saturday, March 9, the Hoosiers took on No. 24 San Diego State University Aztecs for their first match of the Aztec Invite.
In the first quarter, the Aztecs struck first, but the Hoosiers responded with two goals from junior center Sophia Sollie and graduate utility player Zoe Crouch. SDSU tied it up 2-2 at the 4:09 minute mark, but Indiana finished strong with three goals from sophomore utility player Nicole Tyner, and Sollie and Crouch each logging their second goal of the match. Indiana led 5-2 going into the second quarter.
Domination continued for Indiana in the second, as it scored two quick goals with Sollie earning a hat trick. The Aztecs notched a goal after, but Indiana responded with one more goal from Sollie to give it an 8-3 advantage at the half.
Indiana got things started in the third as it notched the first three goals with Crouch also earning a hat trick. SDSU answered with three goals of its own to go into the fourth quarter down 11-6.
The Hoosiers ran away with the lead in the fourth, outscoring the Aztecs 4-1, with sophomore attacker Grace Klingler scoring a pair for the Hoosiers en route to a 15-7 victory.
Indiana vs. California State University, Fullerton
Indiana’s last match of the night came against California State University, Fullerton Titans. This was the second time they’ve played against each other as Indiana won 15-5 against the Titans on Feb. 24.
It was a quiet first quarter for both teams as Indiana found the back of the net first with two goals coming from Sollie and senior defender Kallie White. The Titans answered with a goal of their own, but Klingler logged a goal late to put Indiana up 3-1 after the first quarter.
Indiana stayed hot, outscoring CSU 4-1 in the second quarter with junior attacker Grace Hathaway earning her first goal of the tournament. Indiana led 7-2 going into the break.
The Titans struggled to find the back of the net in the third quarter as the Hoosiers held them scoreless. Indiana notched two goals with junior defender Claire Witting scoring her first goal of the tournament to give it a 9-2 lead going to the fourth.
Indiana outscored CSU 3-2 in the fourth quarter, with Kidd earning a hat trick from a penalty shot. The Hoosiers won 12-4 and were undefeated in the Aztec Invite heading into Sunday.
Indiana vs. Princeton University
On March 10, the Hoosiers took on a challenge facing No. 8 Princeton University Tigers.
Princeton paved the way in the first quarter, striking the first two goals, both from junior utility player Kayla Yelensky. Kidd responded for the Hoosiers, logging two goals of her own with one coming from a penalty shot. Neither team could take the lead, bringing the score to 2-2 after the first quarter.
This trend continued in the second as each team scored a pair of goals with Crouch scoring both goals for Indiana. The score ended up 4-4 after the second quarter.
The third quarter looked like the last two, with neither team overtaking the other. Both teams logged three goals, and Crouch bagged the hat trick in the third quarter. Going into the fourth, the score was 7-7.
Indiana broke away in the fourth quarter, earning the first three goals of the quarter. Princeton answered with two goals of its own, but it wasn’t enough as Indiana won 10-9.
Indiana vs La Salle University
Later that afternoon, Indiana played its final match of the invite against the La Salle University Explorers.
Indiana came out with a quick start, scoring the first four goals in the first quarter, but La Salle responded with a pair of goals. The Hoosiers notched one more goal, giving them a 5-2 lead after the first.
The Hoosiers’ defense excelled in the second quarter, holding the Explorers to one goal. Indiana notched four goals with Crouch and senior attacker Kiki Mein earning their second goal of the match to give the it a 9-3 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, both teams earned three goals apiece, with Crouch nailing two goals to give herself the third hat trick of the invite. Indiana led 12-6 with one more quarter to play.
Indiana outscored La Salle 4-2 in the fourth quarter to win 16-8 giving it a perfect 4-0 record at the Aztec Invite.
Indiana will stay out west, as it will compete Thursday against the University of California, Davis and Saturday against the University of California, Berkeley.
