Feb. 1, 2014
Stanford, Calif.----- Goalkeeper Maddie Reardon was credited with 18 saves including one on a Michigan 3-on-1 fast break as San Jose State University split a pair of matches on the first day of the two-day Stanford Invitational women's water polo tournament.
The Spartans senior goalkeeper made nine saves in each contest first in a 9-8 loss to #4-Cal and then in a 14-6 win over #16-ranked Michigan in the nightcap. Her key save in the Michigan win came with the score tied 2-2 in the first quarter and ignited three unanswered goals by #14-ranked San Jose State (8-3) and an 11-1 explosion covering 2.5 quarters of the match.
"Huge. That was a momentum changer. If they got that goal, we could have been down by another goal and another goal," San Jose State interim head coach Johnny Bega about Reardon's save on Michigan's 3-on-1.
"I think we played very strong on defense. I think we are working well at communicating with each other," said Reardon, who is 3-0 in two seasons as a starting goalkeeper against Michigan.
"She's really stepping up for us," added Bega about his #1-goalkeeper.
"…My biggest girl probably would be the seventh biggest girl for San Jose State. They are physically that much deeper than we are," said University of Michigan head coach Matt Anderson, who was a San Jose State assistant coach in the 1990's.
In the opener against Cal, San Jose State overcame a pair of three-goal deficits in the first half to tie the match at 7-7 in the third quarter and 8-8 in the fourth before Anna Illies converted a penalty shot for the Golden Bears with 1:58 left in the match. The Spartans had one good opportunity to tie the match in the final minute, but Clara Espar Llaquet was called for an offensive foul with 30 seconds remaining allowing Cal to hold the ball and run out the clock.
Espar Llaquet was San Jose State's top scorer against Cal and for the day with five goals - three against the Golden Bears including the game-tying goal at 7-7. Victoria Smith scored four times in two games including a power-play goal that tied the Cal match at 8-8 early in the fourth quarter.
Rachel Henry, Rae Lekness, Bianca Seyfert and Timi Molnar joined Espar Llaquet and Smith scoring twice in the Michigan win.
San Jose State concludes its play in the Stanford Invitational taking on #3-ranked UCLA (9-0) at 9:10 a.m. and an afternoon game against either #5-Hawaii, #6-UC Irvine, #17-UC Davis or #2-Stanford.
San Jose State University Women's Water Polo
Stanford Invitational
Belardi Pool, Stanford, Calif.
February 1, 2014
| Match 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #14-San Jose State (7-3) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| #4-Cal (7-0) | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| Goal Scoring |
| San Jose State - Clara Espar Llaquet, 3; Victoria Smith, 2; Alisa Argend, 1; Rae Lekness, 1; Timi Molnar, 1. |
| Cal - Tiera Schroeder, 2; Roser Tarrago, 2; Dora Antal, 2; Ashley Young, 1; Anna Illes, 1; Victoria Williams, 1. |
| Goalkeeper Saves |
| San Jose State - Maddie Reardon, 9. |
| Cal - Madeleine Trabucco, 6. |
| Ejections |
| San Jose State - 12 |
| California - 7 |
| Match 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #16-Michigan (1-4) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| #14-San Jose State (8-3) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 |
| Goal Scoring |
| Michigan - Jamie Nolan, Kelsey Nolan, Elizabeth Williams, Danielle Robinson, Presley Pender, Barbara Lanier, 1, each. |
| San Jose State - Rachel Henry, Clara Espar Llaquet, Bianca Seyfert, Rae Lekness, Timi Molnar, Victoria Smith, 2, each. Cara Robinson, Kelli Leabo, 1, each. |
| Goalkeeper Saves |
| Michigan - Emily Browning, 8. |
| San Jose State - Maddie Reardon, 9. |
| Ejections |
| Michigan - 9. |
| San Jose State - 7. |