UCLA Wins Water Polo National Title at USC
June 21, 1999 | Women's Water Polo
May 10, 1998
LOS ANGELES - Top-seed UCLA defeated No. 3 California, 7-3, to win its third consecutive Women's Water Polo National Collegiate Championship on Sunday (May 10) at the USC McDonald's Swim Stadium in front of 1,000 fans.
UCLA (35-1), the two-time defending national champion entering the match, beat Cal (27-6) for the third consecutive time in the national championship game. The Bruins, who have gone 95-3 in the last three seasons, were led in the title game by junior driver and 1998 Championship MVP Coralie Simmons, who scored three of her nine tournament goals in the finale.
The Bruins scored first, but Cal goals by senior driver Alicia Razzari and senior All-American two-meter player Alisa vonHartitzsch gave the Bears a 2-1 lead with 3:59 to go in the first period. UCLA countered, however, with two quick goals by Simmons and freshman two- meter player Robin Beauregard for a 3-2 lead after the first period.
Simmons put UCLA ahead 4-2 with 2:48 to go in the first half and sophomore Erin Golaboski gave UCLA a three-goal lead with a score with only eight seconds left in the second quarter. The Bears, looking to mount a comeback, received a huge blow when vonHartitzsch received her third ejection less than a minute into the third period and had to sit out the remainder of the contest. Cal managed only one more goal the rest of the way.
"We got a good lead heading into the half and we kept the cushion," UCLA Coach Guy Baker said. "Getting our fifth goal late in the second period was a turning point and when vonHartitzsch got her third penalty, that really hurt them.
"The quality of this tournament has improved each year and it keeps getting better and better. There is a lot more talent here this year than last year and it should keep improving. It's an exciting time for the sport."
UCLA senior goalie Nicolle Payne finished with 13 saves in the finale and Cal junior goalie Evi Schueller had seven.
No. 2 Stanford beat No. 4 Hawai'i, 10-4, in the third-place game. The Cardinal (29-6) went up 4-0 after the first period, led 6-1 at the half and 7-1 entering the fourth period. Junior driver Lindsay Welsh, sophomore driver Suze Gardner and sophomore two-meter player Ellen Estes all scored twice for Stanford. Hawai'i (29-12) scored three times in the final frame and got seven saves from junior goalie Lila Fraser.
In the fifth-place game, No. 6 USC (22-15) defeated No. 8 UC Santa Barbara, 4-2. Women of Troy junior goalie Bernice Orwig had 13 saves and helped prevent the Gauchos (17-18) from getting on the board until late in the fourth period. USC sophomore two-meter player Selah Mapes scored twice for the Women of Troy, who led 4-0 at the half. Gaucho sophomore Nicole Comacho scored both of UC Santa Barbara's goals, the second coming with five seconds to play.
San Diego State, the No. 5 seed, defeated No. 7 UMass, 8-3, to win the seventh-place game. Senior driver Rachel Scott and junior river Nicole Garzon each scored twice for the Aztecs (23-14), who used a four-goal fourth period to ice the win. San Diego State sophomore goalie Curran Teigan had 12 saves in the victory. Sophomore driver Marci Hupp scored twice for the Minutewomen (30-6).
No. 9 Maryland (29-11) defeated No. 10 Michigan (32-9-1), 5-4, to win the ninth-place game. Junior driver Katie Vitali scored three goals, including two in the third period, to lead the Terrapins.
1998 WOMEN'S WATER POLO NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Marie-Luc Arpin -- Hawai'i
Robin Beauregard -- UCLA
Ellen Estes - Stanford
Bernice Orwig -- USC
Coralie Simmons -- UCLA
Suze Gardner -- Stanford
Alisa vonHartitzsch -- California
SECOND TEAM
Kellie Clarke -- USC
Colette Glinkowski -- California
Catherine Hill -- UC Santa Barbara
Nicolle Payne -- UCLA
Heather Petri -- California
Rachel Scott -- San Diego State
Kaliya Young -- California
HONORABLE MENTION
Karen Cook -- California
Heather Crary -- Stanford
Jennifer Durley -- USC
Amanda Gall -- UCLA
Katie Grogan -- UMass
Debra Simone -- Indiana
Katie Vitali -- Maryland
TOURNAMENT LEADING SCORERS
Alisa vonHartitzsch (California) 9 goals
Coralie Simmons (UCLA) 9 goals
TOURNAMENT LEADING GOALIE
Bernice Orwig (USC) 41 saves
1998 Women's Water Polo National Collegiate Championships
Hosted by USC -- At USC's McDonald's Swim Stadium
Day Three - Sunday, May 10, 1998
Ninth-Place Game -- #20 - Maryland 5, Michigan 4
Michigan 0 1 2 1 -- 4
Maryland 1 0 3 1 -- 5
Michigan Goals: Susan Yaukey, Vaile Wright, Candice Russell, Jennifer Crisman.
Maryland Goals: Katie Vitali 3, Katie Polasek, Fernanda Alfinito.
Saves: Katy Armstrong (MI) 1; Dawn Lilenfeld (MD) 3.
Notes: Maryland junior driver Katie Vitali scored three goals, including twice in the third period, to lead Maryland to victory in the ninth-place game. Maryland finished at 29-11. Michigan finished at 32-9-1.
Seventh-Place Game -- #21 - San Diego State 8, UMass 3
SDSU 2 1 1 4 -- 8
UMass 1 0 1 1 -- 3
San Diego State Goals: Nicole Garzon 2, Rachel Scott 2, Danielle Dabbaghian, Sara Hanneman, Larisa Baltgalvis, Nicole Federspiel.
UMass Goals: Marci Hupp 2, Katie Grogan.
Saves: Curran Teigan (SDSU) 12; Peggy Nieves (M) 7.
Notes: The Minutewomen closed to within 3-2 late in the third period on Katie Grogan's goal, but four Aztec goals in the fourth period put the game out of reach. San Diego State finishes at 23-14. UMass finishes at 30-6.
Fifth-Place Game -- #22 - USC 4, UC Santa Barbara 2
UCSB 0 0 0 2 -- 2
USC 2 2 0 0 -- 4
UC Santa Barbara Goals: Nicole Comacho 2.
USC Goals: Selah Mapes 2, Jennifer Durley, Nicole Martin.
Saves: Angie Seto (UCSB) 6; Bernice Orwig (USC) 13.
Notes: The Women of Troy scored four times in the first half as USC won the fifth-place game. The Gauchos got on the board on Nicole Comacho's first goal with 2:51 to play and she added her second with five seconds left. USC finishes the season at 22-15. UC Santa Barbara finishes the year at 17-18.
Third-Place Game -- #23 - Stanford 10, Hawai'i 4
Stanford 4 2 1 3 -- 10
Hawai'i 0 1 0 3 -- 4
Stanford Goals: Lindsay Welsh 2, Suze Gardner 2, Ellen Estes 2, Kris Koblik, Elissa Keszler, Heather Crary, Nicole Glazer.
Hawai'i Goals: Vanessa Wasik, Denise Parreira, Michele Wong, Corey Miller.
Saves: Heather Crary (S) 6; Lila Fraser (H) 7.
Notes: Stanford led 6-1 at the half and never let up, winning the third-place game. Seven Stanford players scored, including goalie Heather Crary. The Cardinal finishes 29-6. The Rainbows finish at 29-12.
Championship Game -- #24 - UCLA 7, California 3
California 2 0 0 1 -- 3
UCLA 3 2 1 1 -- 7
California Goals: Alisa vonHartitzsch, Alicia Razzari, Heather Petri.
UCLA Goals: Coralie Simmons 3, Catharine von Schwarz, Erin Golaboski, Amanda Gall, Robin Beauregard.
Saves: Evi Schueller (C) 7; Nicolle Payne (UCLA) 13.
Notes: UCLA won its third consecutive national championship, beating California all three times in the final. UCLA finishes at 35-1. California finishes at 27-6.
