No. 1 USC Secures Semifinal Spot at UCI Invitational

Saturday, February 27

Irvine, Calif.

1:30 PM

USC

UC Irvine

No. 1 USC Secures Semifinal Spot at UCI Invitational

February 27, 2016 | Women's Water Polo

Feb. 27, 2016

IRVINE, CALIF. — The No. 1 USC women's water polo team secured another trip to the semifinal round at the UCI Invitational with two wins today at the Anteater Aquatics Complex in Irvine. The Trojans opened the day with a decisive 13-3 win over No. 25 Cal State Northridge before getting entrenched in a tough battle with tournament host UC Irvine in the afternoon. In the fourth quarter, USC would net the game-winner on Stephania Haralabidis' seventh goal of the game as the Trojans held on for an 11-10 win over the Anteaters to score a spot in tomorrow's semifinals and keep USC undefeated on the year at 9-0.

In the morning matchup with the Matadors, USC surrendered the first goal of the game but surged back into control in scoring the next 10 goals. The Trojans piled up four scores in the first period and then another four by halftime. Ioanna Haralabidis drilled three goals and Brigitta Games tallied two to help lead the Trojans to an 8-1 lead at the half. Avery Peterson would deliver her second goal in opening the second half with a nice backhand blast, and Ioanna Haralabidis struck her fourth next to make it a 10-1 Trojan advantage during the third. CSUN broke the USC rally with a 5-meter penalty shot that made it 10-2 Trojans to close the third. Sophomore goalie Victória Chamorro would give way to senior Alegra Hueso in the fourth frame, although Chamorro would check back in to defend against CSUN's final 6-on-5 opportunity. By that time, Hueso had held off the Matadors while the USC offense clicked off three more goals from three new scorers — Melissa Bergesen, Nikki Stansfield and Dagmar Gudmundsson — to build a 13-2 lead. CSUN would connect on its last power play change, leaving the game as a powerful 13-3 Trojan victory to move USC on to a winners' clash against host UC Irvine in the afternoon.

Up against tournament host UC Irvine, the Trojans were put under significant pressure in a see-saw battle that saw the lead change hands back and forth and lock up even seven times. USC got out of the gates with a 2-0 lead before UC Irvine closed the game and leveled in on back-to-back 5-meter penalty shots. USC would edge back ahead on a 5-meter strike from Brianna Daboub to get USC up 3-2, only to see the Anteaters fire back again with the equalizer and then the go-ahead goal on a 6-on-5 to put USC behind 4-3 after one period of play. Stephania Haralabidis got into a serious scoring groove in this one and whipped in one of many goals to her name to lock it up 4-4, and then again at 5-5 to close the half with all things equal.

In the second half, USC would continue to play catchup. UC Irvine got out to an 8-6 advantage with 3:38 on the clock, only to see the Trojans rattle off three straight scores to work back into the lead. Hayley McKelvey provided the spark and Haralabidis followed with back-to-back blasts to take the Trojans ahead 9-8 with 1:22 to go in the third. A wild final few seconds saw UCI equalize and then Haralabidis lace one in before the buzzer to hold USC ahead 10-9 entering the fourth. There, the Anteaters snarled it up for the seventh time with a score at 5:25. Less than a minute later, Haralabidis proved heroic again with the go-ahead goal at 4:43, and that one would hold through a tense final few minutes to stand as the game-winner for the Trojans in an 11-10 victory.

USC will not face either Stanford or UC Davis in the semifinals tomorrow (Feb. 27) at 10:30 a.m. to play for the right to a spot in the title match that evening at 5:15 p.m.

2016 UCI INVITATIONAL (Irvine, Calif.)

GROUP PLAY

#1 USC 13, #25 Cal State Northridge 3

Feb. 27, 2016 - Anteater Aquatics Complex (Irvine, Calif.)

USC 4 - 4 - 2 - 3 = 13

CSUN 1 - 0 - 1 - 1 = 3

SCORING:

USC — Ioanna Haralabidis 4, Brigitta Games 2, Avery Peterson 2, Stephania Haralabidis, Brianna Daboub, Melissa Bergesen, Nikki Stansfield, Dagmar Gudmundsson.

CSUN — Sanchez 2, Fairchild.

SAVES: Victória Chamorro (USC) 5, Alegra Hueso (USC) 1, Averell (CSUN) 10, Van Vugt (CSUN) 2.

GROUP PLAY

#1 USC 11, #9 UC Irvine