April 18, 2014
Bakersfield, Calif.----- Co-captain Timi Molnarscored a season-high four goals and three more San Jose State players scored twice each as the #7-ranked Spartans defeated CSU Bakersfield, 13-10, in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) women's water polo regular season finale for both teams.
A junior from Budapest, Hungary, Molnar reached the 50-goal plateau in a season for the third time at San Jose State (20-11, 2-4 MPSF) scoring twice each in the second and third quarters. Her back-to-back goals in a 27-second span of the third quarter broke a 6-6 tie, gave the Spartans a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way and increased her season total to 50.
The MPSF win ensured San Jose State would be seeded as the number-five team in the April 25-27 seven-team conference tournament championship hosted by the University of Southern California and gave the program its fourth 20-win season in University history. The last time the Spartans won 20 matches in a season was in 2011.
San Jose State will open MPSF Tournament play against #4-seed California on April 25.
San Jose State's conversion of power plays was the difference in the Spartans' third win over the Roadrunners this season. The Spartans were 6-of-10 compared to CSU Bakersfield's 5-of-14.
"Our team defense came together (on power play defense). That was big," said San Jose State interim head coach Johnny Bega.
Freshman Katelynn Thompsonwas credited with 10 saves including five in the fourth quarter. CSU Bakersfield goalkeeper Courtney Wahlstrom stopped eight shots, but one in the decisive third quarter when the Spartans scored five times.
Sophomore Rae Lekness, senior Rachel Henry and freshman Cara Robinson were San Jose State's other multi-goal scorers with two each. Clara Espar Llaquet, the Spartans' leading scorer with 92 goals, scored her only goal in the third quarter to tie the match at 6-6 and ignite a three-goal spurt in 59 seconds capped by Molnar's pair of scores.
"We had to keep pushing and pulled away at the end," Bega added about the third win of the season over the Roadrunners (12-20, 0-6 MPSF). "We maintained on composure and focused on executing down the stretch."
CSU Bakersfield's Taylor Hanson matched Molnar for game-high scoring honors with four.
San Jose State University women's water polo
Hillman Aquatics Complex, Bakersfield, Calif.
April 18, 2014
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| #7-San Jose State (20-11, 2-4 MPSF) | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| CSU Bakersfield (12-20, 0-6 MPSF) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| Goal scoring |
| San Jose State - Timi Molnar, 4; Rachel Henry, Cara Robinson, Rae Lekness, 2, each; Alisa Argend, Victoria Smith, Clara Espar Llaquet, 1, each. |
| CSU Bakersfield - Taylor Hanson, 4; Paige Tsuruda, 3; Janelle Shelby, 2; Bridgette Souza, 1. |
| Goalkeeper saves |
| San Jose State - Katelynn Thompson, 10. |
| CSU Bakersfield - Courtney Wahlstrom, 8. |
| Ejections |
| San Jose State - 14. |
| CSU Bakersfield - 11. |