May 2, 2004

LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Again led by junior All-American Jodie Needles, the No. 8 ranked California women's water polo team upset No. 5 ranked San Diego State (26-9), 8-6, in the fifth-place match of the 2004 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament Sunday in Los Alamitos. The Golden Bears finished the 2004 campaign 17-12, while the Aztecs ended the year 26-9.

Needles scored three goals to lead Cal to the 8-6 win over the Aztecs in the fifth-place game. The Bears broke a 3-3 tie with three unanswered goals to take a 6-3 halftime lead. Needles, who scored all three goals in the first half, notched her final goal at 0:30 in the second period to give Cal its 6-3 advantage. San Diego State's Holly Hartzell scored at 6:07 in the third to cut the deficit to 6-4, but goals by sophomore Allison Gold (4:54, third period) and junior Natalie Nelson (5:54, fourth period) gave the Bears an 8-4 lead. Cal goalie Lauren Dennis finished the match with an impressive 14 saves.

The Bears' victory over the Aztecs avenged a 5-2 loss to San Diego State in last year's MPSF Tournament fifth-place match. Needles finished the MPSF Tournament with 10 goals in four matches and concluded the year with a team-high 45 goals. It was the second time this season Cal had upended the higher ranked Aztecs, earlier topping San Diego State, 5-2 in Tempe, Ariz. Mar. 27.

Cal 4 2 1 1 - 8
SDSU 3 0 1 2 - 6

CAL GOALS: Jodie Needles (3), Lindy Spieker, Katie Card, Allison Gold,
Annie Wight, Natalie Nelson
SDSU GOALS:Sandy Onweller (2), Holly Hartzell (2), Elana Cervantes,
Savanah Kelley
GOALIE SAVES: Lauren Dennis, Cal 14; Ashley Zabel, San Diego State 8