No. 4 USC Plays Home Finale Saturday
April 14, 2011 | Women's Water Polo
April 14, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
No. 4 USC wraps up the regular season in home waters this weekend as the Trojans take on No. 7 San Jose State in a key game to close out the MPSF regular season. USC (15-5, 3-3 MPSF) will host the Spartans (20-9, 2-3) in a 4 p.m. matchup on Saturday (April 16). After the annual Swim With Mike event winds down, the Trojans will set up to celebrate their 2011 seniors -- Joelle Bekhazi, Kristen Dronberger, Courtney Ray and Sarah Van Norman -- in a Senior Day ceremony at McDonald's Swim Stadium before the opening sprint at 4 p.m.
IN THE RANKINGS
USC ranks No. 4 in the nation this week, and San Jose State sits at No. 7.
LAST WEEK
USC fought out of a three-goal hole to tie things in the fourth period, but crosstown rival UCLA staved off the comeback with two goals for a 7-5 Bruin victory in Westwood. It's the first time since 2000 that the Trojans have taken three losses in MPSF competition, and with just one conference match left in the regular season, USC is looking at either a No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the coming MPSF Tournament in the case of a tiebreak situation between UCLA, USC and Hawai'i. Against the Bruins, USC's scoring was spread among five different scorers, while UCLA got four from Grace Reynolds, including the last two strikes to pull ahead for good. UCLA had the upper hand throughout as the Trojans never led in the game. The referees' whistles blew often and harshly for a total of 22 exclusions and a penalty apiece. The cross bar also played a key role in the game, with numerous bar-outs on both ends and three 6-on-5 slams that stalled out Trojan attacks. USC goalie Flora Bolonyai recorded nine saves in the game.
SCOUTING SJSU
The No. 7 Spartans are 20-9 overall and 2-3 in MPSF play after winning out at the Bronco Invitational with victories over UC San Diego, Cal State Bakersfield, Santa Clara and Sonoma State last week. Three Spartans -- Adriana Vogt, Timi Molnar and Dani Curran -- have combined for 62 percent of SJSU's scoring this season, led by 68 goals from Vogt to rank second in the MPSF in scoring. Goalie Meagan Minson averages 9.7 saves and 8.2 goals-against per game. USC is a perfect 22-0 all-time against San Jose State after three wins last season, including a 13-6 victory in the teams' 2010 MPSF match.
SENIORS AT THE CENTURY MARK
USC seniors Joelle Bekhazi and Kristen Dronberger joined the century club at Troy with their 100th career goals scored this season. Both are making a push to crack the all-time top-10. Bekhazi is just ahead in the climb, holding 121 career goals to date, with Dronberger at 113.
STAT SHEET
As a team, USC sits fourth in the conference on the offensive and defensive ends. Having outscored their competition 216-127 so far, the Trojans are averaging 10.8 goals per game offensively and 6.35 goals-against per game. Kristen Dronberger and Patricia Jancso lead USC's scoring charge with 30 goals each, and freshman goalie Flora Bolonyai is averaging 7.8 saves and 6.2 goals-against per game in her first year as a Trojan and boasts three MPSF Newcomer of the Week selections already this season.
SPREAD THE WEALTH
With 16 different scorers this season, USC has distributed its offense among more Trojans than in any of the previous three years. Patricia Jancso and Nadia Dan have scored in 17 games apiece, Kristen Dronberger and Joelle Bekhazi each have struck in 16, and Sarah Van Norman is the next most productive with goals in 15 games for USC on the year.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Eleven of USC's 16 goal scorers this year have no more than a single season of experience under their caps. But still, the Trojans' youth movement is making noise. Sophomores Patricia Jancso and Dominique Sardo were key parts of USC's run to the 2010 NCAA Championship as true freshmen. This year, Jancso is a leader in scoring again with 30 goals to date, and Sardo has bettered her first season's scoring total in tallying 17 goals to date in her second year. True freshman Madeline Rosenthal is next in line with 14 goals, and a freshman-sophomore combo of Kaleigh Gilchrist and Nicolina McCall also sit in double digits with 12 and 11 goals, respectively.
PUSHING THROUGH PALO ALTO
USC had a strong showing at the Stanford Invitational in the Trojans' first competition of the year. A well-rounded start saw USC post a 9-1 win over No. 15 Indiana before facing crosstown rival No. 4 UCLA later in the day. The Trojans were in control throughout, winning 10-8 to get in position for a shot at the title match. To get there, USC had to get through No. 5 Hawai'i the next morning, and the Trojans took care of that business as well with a 9-7 decision. Nadia Dan recorded hat tricks to lead USC in all three games of group play, with the Trojans facing top-ranked host Stanford in the championship match -- a rematch of the 2010 NCAA final that USC won 10-9. In this one, USC and Stanford were neck-and-neck throughout, with the Trojans forcing overtime with Kristen Dronberger's fourth goal of the game to close regulation. It was tied up again after two overtime periods to bring up sudden death, the first of which passed without a score, thanks in large part to a penalty shot save from USC goalie Flora Bolonyai. Stanford would get the winning score in the second sudden-death period, however, to claim a tight 10-9 win and get the championship for the hosts. For her 31 saves in her first four games as a Trojan, freshman goalie Bolonyai was named the MPSF Newcomer of the Week.
LAST SEASON
In 2010, the USC women emerged with their third national championship in beating top-seeded Stanford 10-9 in the 2010 NCAA Championship game. USC finished the year with a 25-3 overall record after going 6-1 in MPSF play with a second-place finish in the MPSF Tournament. USC's last NCAA title had come in 2004, and 2010 marked the Trojans' seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Kami Craig was named the Cutino Award winner for the second straight season, and Tumua Anae was the MPSF Player of the Year. That pair also led USC's All-American count for the season, with Craig becoming just the second Trojan to be named the National Player of the Year, joining 1999 honoree Bernice Orwig. Anae and junior Joelle Bekhazi were both First Team All-Americans along with Craig. Junior Kristen Dronberger was named to the Second Team, and senior Forel Davies was on the Third Team. That led in to a trio of Trojans earning Honorable Mention: seniors Alexandra Kiss and Kally Lucas and freshman Patricia Jancso. Jovan Vavic picked up his third selection as the National Women's Coach of the Year - each of which has followed national championships for his Women of Troy (1999, 2004 and 2010).
