LA JOLLA, Calif. - The high-octane crosstown-rivalry waterpolo game was tied or within one until 22 seconds remained in the game, when the Tritons finally went up by two to win the Harper Cup over the Aztecs, 18-16. The game featured 16 ties (not a typo!), with seven and ten Aztec and Triton leads, respectively. This matchup was one for the ages!

The 34 combined goals surpassed the previous high of 22 combined from 2011. "That game was electric from start to finish,” said SDSU captain Shannon Murphy. “Neither team ever led by more than a goal, which just shows how competitive the rivalry really is. Every time we face UC San Diego, it brings out the best in both teams. Even though we didn’t come out with the win, I was still extremely proud of how our team competed.”

After the end of the first quarter, SDSU was up 5-4 off of two goals by Murphy and one each by Sammi Byers, Mimi Stoupas, and Rose Kanemy.

By the end of the first half, the score was tied 9-9. The Tritons’ nine goals came from seven players: two goals each by Courtney Okumura and Caroline Christl, and one each from Kenzie Larson, Emily Cloherty, Kendall Thomas, Sofia Munatones, and Sydney Munatones.

The second half began with just as much energy from both teams. The third-quarter scoring went like this: SDSU up 10-9 (Rose Kanemy), tied 10-10 (Lucia Doak), SDSU up 11-10 (Mimi Stoupas), tied 11-11 (Kendall Thomas), SDSU up 12-11 (Amanda Chambers), tied 12-12 (Caroline Christl), UCSD up 13-12 (Kendall Thomas).

In the fourth, SDSU tied the game four times, but never regained the lead. With 1:42 remaining, Doak scored and the Tritons led 17-16. With 22 seconds remaining, UCSD’s Christl scored the final goal of the game and the Tritons took its only two-goal lead of the game, 18-16.

“I'm so proud of our team for battling their way through,” said Triton freshman Holly Roberts, from Auckland, New Zealand. “It was obviously a very good matchup with SDSU as well, but I'm just really happy we got it in the end.”

Roberts scored a goal and had two steals for the game.

Halftime included a special tribute to former UC San Diego Water polo great Carin Crawford who subsequently coached SDSU’s Waterpolo team for 24 years. Now retired, Crawford was a co-captain for UC San Diego and received All-America honors in 1988 and 1989, and earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from UC San Diego. Crawford competed on the U.S. National Team and worked at the grassroots level to raise the status of women's water polo to an Olympic and NCAA championship sport.

Players and former teammates shared their appreciation for Crawford in a video message.

Triton co-captain Kendall Thomas was the first awardee of the Carin Crawford Harper Cup MVP.