USC
UCLA (Championship)
USC Takes Second At MPSF Championships
April 27, 2008 | Women's Water Polo
April 27, 2008
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The USC women's water polo team took top-ranked UCLA down to the wire in the MPSF Championship game on Sunday in San Diego, coming up just short of an upset with an 8-7 loss to the Bruins in the title match. The Women of Troy put together a four-goal scoring run in the second half to take a slim lead in the fourth period, but the Bruins managed a pair to work ahead and claim the MPSF title and automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA Championships, held May 11-13 at Stanford. USC, which entered the tournament ranked No. 3 in the nation before beating No. 2 Stanford in the MPSF semifinals, is likely to get an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. USC is 19-7 overall after its second-place finish at the MPSF Tournament.
Leading the way in scoring for the second straight game was sophomore Alexandra Kiss, who knocked in a hat trick for the Trojans while sophomore goalie Tumua Anae tallied a career-high 14 saves against the Bruins. Kiss opened the game with an offspeed score for the Trojans, getting USC ahead 1-0 early in the game. UCLA would score the next three, however, taking a 3-1 lead after Courtney Mathewson's second of the game came with 3 seconds left in the first period.
USC cut into the lead on the first 6-on-5 opportunity of the game. Kristen Dronberger earned the player advantage for the Trojans, and Kally Lucas skipped in the score to make it 3-2. UCLA got another strike from Mathewson next, however - her third in a row - to go up 4-3, and then Gabbie Domanic scored on a skip for a 5-2 UCLA lead with 6:02 on the clock in the second period. Tumua Anae made a clutch save on a close-range UCLA strike off the counter next, and USC went back and earned a 6-on-5. Kiss fired in a nearside score on the power play, making it 5-3 UCLA with 1:48 on the clock. In the final minute, UCLA earned a 6-on-5 of its own, and Tanya Gandy scored from the post to lift UCLA ahead 6-3 with 11 seconds left in the half.
In the second half, USC regrouped effectively. On a Trojan 6-on-5, Kally Lucas sent a cross to Veronika Bartunkova on the right side, and the senior drilled the shot to spark a scoring run for the Trojans. USC blasted in two long bombs next, as Michelle Stein rifled a skipper in from the perimeter and then Jordan Anae powered in a score from deep to lock up the game at 6-6 as the fourth period came up. Anae racked up five saves in the period to help the Trojan defense shut out the Bruins in the frame.
To kick off the fourth, Alison Riddle won the opening sprint to get USC the first possession. Sarah Van Norman earned a 6-on-5 for the Trojans, and Kiss slammed home her third of the day to give USC its first lead since the first period of play and make it four straight goals for the Women of Troy. Up 7-6 with 6:31 left in regulation, Bartunkova put a stop to a UCLA counter. UCLA went up on a 6-on-5 soon after, however, and Katie Rulon scored to tie things again at 7-7 with 5:42 to go. A minute later, Domanic managed a skip shot that made it through for an 8-7 UCLA edge at 3:48. As time drained, USC was unable to find a tying score, leaving the Trojans with an 8-7 loss to the Bruins.
MPSF Championships - 1st Place Game
April 27, 2008 - Aztec Aquaplex
UCLA 8, USC 7
USC 1 - 2 - 3 - 1 = 7
UCLA 3 - 3 - 0 - 2 = 8
SCORING:
USC - Alexandra Kiss 3, Kally Lucas, Veronika Bartunkova, Michelle Stein, Jordan Anae.
UCLA - Courtney Mathewson 3, Tanya Gandy 2, Gabbie Domanic 2, Katie Rulon.
SAVES: Tumua Anae (USC) 14, Brittany Fullen (UCLA) 7.
