ASU returns with conference clashes

 by Steven Falkenhagen
 published on Friday, March 28, 2008

After a weekend off from competition, it's back to the water for the ASU water polo team.

According to coach Todd Clapper, the Sun Devils, ranked No. 7 in the National Collegiate Women's Top 20 Poll, will relish the return to game play.

"Last week wasn't a very popular week, but it was a week where we could do more conditioning," Clapper said. "It was a lot of sore bodies last week, but it was necessary [for us] to push through."

The Sun Devils primarily used the week off from competition to swim with goggles and run more than they usually do.

For the upcoming weekend, ASU (13-9, 3-4) is mainly focusing on its conference battle against Pacific (4-17, 0-8). The matchup, which also doubles as a tournament game, is slated for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday at Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

Last week, senior goalie Caylinn Wallace was named MPSF Co-Player of the Week after recording 15 saves in ASU's 8-7 upset over No. 5 California. UCLA (21-0) senior attacker Courtney Mathewson shared the honor with Wallace based on her four goals in an 8-7 victory over USC.

One of three seniors on the Sun Devil team, Wallace says she's noticed an increased focused in this year's team.

"I feel like people have invested their emotions and energy into the team," Wallace said of this year's squad. "They don't just show up every day. They're showing up with a purpose — our goal is to make NCAA's, and I think people understand that."

After their battle with Pacific, the Sun Devils have five Mountain Pacific Sports Federation games remaining on their schedule before the conference championships on April 24 to 27 in San Diego, Calif.

If ASU qualifies from the MPSF, it will move on to the national championships in Palo Alto, Calif. from May 9 to 11.

ASU has three other games this weekend as part of the Arizona State Invitational. All of those will be nonconference games.

The Sun Devils play Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday and will close out the tournament on Sunday, with a meeting against Cal Baptist and No. 19 UC-San Diego.

Reach the reporter at: steven.falkenhagen@asu.edu.