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Brightwell, Keeve on track to break ASU water polo records

Redshirt senior attacker Alicia Brightwell reaches high to shoot over a UCLA defender on March 2.  With eight more goals Brightwell can break the ASU water polo record for goals in one season.  (Photo by Murphy Bannerman)
Redshirt senior attacker Alicia Brightwell reaches high to shoot over a UCLA defender on March 2. With eight more goals Brightwell can break the ASU water polo record for goals in one season. (Photo by Murphy Bannerman)

Redshirt senior attacker Alicia Brightwell reaches high to shoot over a UCLA defender on March 2.  With eight more goals Brightwell can break the ASU water polo record for goals in one season.  (Photo by Murphy Bannerman) Redshirt senior attacker Alicia Brightwell reaches high to shoot over a UCLA defender on March 2. With eight more goals Brightwell can break the ASU water polo record for goals in one season. (Photo by Murphy Bannerman)

The two main keys to winning any sport are to score and to not let the opponent score.

ASU water polo has been led to the No. 3 spot in the nation by having two of the best players in the country dominating on both ends of the pool.

Redshirt senior attacker Alicia Brightwell leads the MPSF with 74 goals on the season. The all-time Sun Devil record is 81 set by Addison McGrath in 2008.

ASU has at least three games left on the season, and Brightwell is capable of breaking the record.

“It’s not really focus,” Brightwell said. “Scoring goals is nice, but at the end of the day, we want to get wins on the board, and if that means I need to score goals, then so be it.”

Brightwell is one goal shy of tying her personal record from last year, which is the second-most goals in a season. She is also fourth in goals in ASU history and trails the third-place scorer by six.

What's impressive is Brightwell scored all those goals in only two seasons. All three Sun Devils ahead of her had at least three. The other nine players on the top-10 goals list also had at least three seasons.

Redshirt freshman goalie E.B. Keeve’s 313 saves on the season leads the MPSF. Like Brightwell, Keeve is within reach of her respective record.

The ASU saves record is 346 and was set by Caylinn Wallace in 2008.

“I did (know about the record), only because my dad pointed it out,” Keeve said. “I try not to think about it, because it shouldn’t be a factor. The fact is all that matters is really that our team does good and our team wins.”

Keeve needs 33 saves. It would be difficult, but not impossible. Whether or not Keeve breaks the record, she is already second on the all-time season saves list as a freshman.

“Yes, it’s very cool,” Keeve said. “I’m really excited to see my next three years to try and beat what I have already.”

 

 

Haas continues dominance

In the Brown tournament, senior center Shannon Haas continued her white-hot streak by scoring 15 goals in the five games. That gives her 30 in her last nine games and 65 on the season.

Haas has now scored 193 goals in her career, good for second in ASU history behind McGrath’s 237. Haas is also fifth on the Sun Devil points ranking with 191.

Points are the combined total of goals and assists by one player.

 

Gao quietly putting together quality season

Despite all the attention given to scorers Brightwell and Haas, sophomore two-meter defender Ao Gao has turned in a great season.

Gao is second on the team with nine games in which she scored two goals. Gao leads the team in assists with 28 and is also second only Brightwell in steals with 45 and points with 47.

 

Reach the reporter at justin.emerson@asu.edu


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