Saturday, April 6
Berkeley, CA
1:30 PM
USC
at
California
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Water Polo
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/ Women's Water Polo
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Photo by: John McGillen
No. 2 USC Charges Up For MPSF Clash At No. 5 Cal
April 03, 2019 | Women's Water Polo, Features
Trojans look to start a new win streak with a Saturday showdown in Berkeley.
THIS WEEK
The Women of Troy hit the road this week to engage in more MPSF action, paying a visit to No. 5 California. No. 2 USC (20-1, 2-1) aims to kickstart a new win streak when it takes on the Golden Bears in a 1:30 p.m. tilt on Saturday (April 6) in Berkeley.Â
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USC IN THE RANKINGS
USC kicked off 2019 ranked No. 1 in the national preseason poll and selected at No. 1 in the MPSF preseason poll. USC remained at No. 1 until a March 30 loss to Stanford snapped a 36-game win streak and pushed the Trojans to No. 2 in the nation as of this week's April 3 rankings release.
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SCOUTING CAL
The No. 5 Golden Bears are 13-4 overall and 1-1 in MPSF action after a 6-5 loss at Hawai'i last week. Emma Wright leads Cal in scoring with 40 goals to date. In goal, Madison Tagg is averaging 8.1 saves and 8.3 goals-against per game. In a series dating back to 1995, USC is 41-18 all-time against the Golden Bears with wins in the last 18 meetings. The Trojans beat Cal 9-8 last month in the semifinals at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational. Last season, USC beat Cal twice — 6-5 in the 2018 Barbara Kalbus Invite semifinals and 11-6 in the MPSF meeting in Los Angeles.
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LAST ACTION
USC went to overtime against No. 2 Stanford, falling for the first time this season with a 9-8 loss to the visiting Cardinal at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Trojans had led by three entering the fourth quarter, which is where the Cardinal found its scoring touch to rally back. In overtime, Stanford got the goal it needed and hung on to claim the MPSF win with the OT decision to crack a 36-game win streak held by the Trojans. USC's defense was up to the task in the first frame, silencing the Cardinal while freshman Tilly Kearns came up huge with two goals — the first a fake and fire for the opening goal, and the second a 6-on-5 slam off a feed from fellow freshman Grace Tehaney. Paige Hauschild wrapped the first with a steal, and the hosts gripped a 2-0 advantage early. In the second, junior Kelsey McIntosh and senior Courtney Fahey roared two life, with Fahey earning back-to-back exclusions. McIntosh zipped in the first to answer a power play strike from Stanford. And Fahey finished off the next with a blast out of set to take the Trojans ahead 4-1. Stanford would strike again with a bar-in goal after pulling even on a power play, but McIntosh had another big goal laying in wait, turning and wheeling in a score from the post to pump USC up to a 5-2 lead. Amanda Longan made a huge save to wrap the first half, securing that three-goal margin for the Trojans entering the third. USC would misfire on its first two 6-on-5 opportunities of the third, and Stanford came up with a save on a USC 5-meter penalty that would have given the Trojans a hefty four-goal lead. Stanford struck next with another 6-on-5 finish, making it 5-3 until USC freshman Alejandra Aznar whipped up a power play goal next to get it back to a three-goal lead. Longan would snuff a Stanford 6-on-5 next, but the Cardinal converted on its next change to make it 6-4. Longan's 10th save of the game came next, and McIntosh's third goal soon followed, her nearside strike taking the Trojans ahead 7-4. That score would hold through to the fourth, which was where Stanford made its move. The Cardinal netted goal on its first two 6-on-5 opportunities to carve it to a one-goal game at 7-6 not two minutes into the fourth. Longan squashed the next Stanford power play chance, but the Cardinal punched up two even scores — the second a counterattack finish after Paige Hauschild was handed her third exclusion — to make it a four-goal rally into the lead for the visitors. Up 8-7 with 1:24 left in regulation, Stanford had its first lead of the game. Kearns got USC up on its only 6-on-5 of the frame next, and Denise Mammolito delivered the equalizer with a cross cage skip that knotted it at 8-8 with 38 seconds left. Kearns came up with a clutch steal on Stanford's ensuing possession, and overtime was next on the docket. Stanford struck off the counter with 1:49 on the clock in the first OT, but USC could not answer back. In the next OT stretch, the USC defense held strong again, with Longan hauling in another big save — one of her 15 on the day — and Kearns nabbing another key steal. Again, however, the Trojans were unable to get to the back of the net before time expired on a 9-8 USC loss at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
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BKI CHAMPS
USC stayed perfect on the year with a winning run to the 2019 Barbara Kalbus Invitational championship in late February. The Trojans opened up with a 13-5 win over San Diego State before wrapping group play with a 7-1 win over Arizona State. In the semifinals, USC had a tighter contest in a meeting with Cal, but the Trojans pulled out the 9-8 win to move into the title match. Up against Stanford in a rematch of last year's NCAA final, USC was again up to the test, making a late rally in the fourth and holding off the Cardinal for a 10-8 victory that kept the Trojans' win streak intact. After the winning run, USC locked up its second sweep of the MPSF's weekly honors as Maud Megens picked up her second MPSF Player of the Week award of the year and Bayley Weber had her first career selection as MPSF Newcomer of the Week on Feb. 26. Megens delivered six goals at the invite, with a hat trick in a 9-8 semifinal win over Cal and two goals in the 10-8 title match victory over Stanford. It was is Megens' second MPSF Player of the Week pick this year and fourth overall. Freshman Weber scored four goals, including two in the semifinal win over Cal and one in the championship victory over Stanford at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational. A force on the defensive end as well, Weber got a key steal early against Cal and took it the other way for an early USC lead in the semis. It's Weber's first career award as a Trojan.
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THREE SWEEPS WEEKS
(Say that 10 times fast!) In 11 weeks of work, USC has compiled four MPSF Player of the Week selections and four MPSF Newcomer of the Week honors. Three times, the Trojans have swept the weekly awards. Junior Maud Megens has laid claim to three Player of the Week picks, while freshmen Alejandra Aznar and Bayley Weber have nabbed two Newcomer of the Week selections apiece. Senior goalie Amanda Longan has secured one MPSF Player of the Week award this year.
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CLIMB ON
As the 2019 season chugs along, the Trojans already have players climbing the career charts. With her fifth goal at the UCSB Winter Invitational, junior Maud Megens tallied her 100th career goal as a Trojan on Jan. 18. Megens now ranks No. 12 all-time at USC in scoring with 146 career goals. On the defensive end, senior goalie Amanda Longan entered her senior season ranked No. 3 all-time at USC in career saves. She'd haul in a career-high 19 saves in USC's season opener to tally the second most single-game saves by a Trojan. The next week, she collected her fourth career complete-game shutout, The senior now grips 751 career saves — still a bit of a stretch away from the No. 2 all-time tally of 838 held by Longan's fellow Cutino-winning goalie Bernice Orwig. Also on the rise in the career charts are Paige Hauschild and Denise Mammolito, who are both nearing the century mark with 98 and 94 goals, respectively, to date.
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BY THE NUMBERS
Now 21 games into 2019, USC has outscored opponents 302-87. Junior Maud Megens is the Trojans' top scorer to date with 51 goals. Behind her on the 2019 scoresheet sits sophomore Paige Hauschild with 30 goals and true freshman Alejandra Aznar and with 29. They're followed by freshmen Tilly Kearns (26) and Bayley Weber (24) and juniors Denise Mammolito (23) and Kelsey McIntosh (23), while freshman Mireia Guiral is also now in the 20-goal zone. On the defensive end, two goalies have checked into the cage to date. Senior Amanda Longan has logged minutes in 18 games, averaging 11.1 saves and 4.2 goals-against per game. She also boasts the second most single-game saves by a Trojan, having made a career-high 19 stops vs. Cal Baptist on Jan. 19. In all this year, Longan has recorded nine outings with double-digit saves. Redshirt sophomore Holly Parker has stepped in in 10 games, averaging 8.0 saves and 4.0 goals-against per game to date while also claiming a career-high 10-save day. The Trojan defense has rendered opponents silent in at least one period of play in 17 games while accumulating a grand total of 35 shutout periods this season so far, including back-to-back complete-game shutouts. Overall, USC is averaging 14.4 goals per game on the offensive end and is allowing just 4.1 goals-against per game defensively. The Trojan defense leads the MPSF.
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BACK-TO-BACK BATTLE
For almost a decade now, there's been a fierce title tug-of-war between two teams. The claim to the NCAA women's water polo championship has gone to either USC or Stanford for the past nine seasons. For every tug in the Trojan direction — there's been four titles won by USC in that stretch — the Cardinal have grabbed ahold the next year. At the end of the line this season is a chance for the USC women to do what they've never done before — to claim back-to-back national championships.Â
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ON YOUR LEFT
A spring addition to the Trojan roster, Alejandra Aznar's presence bumps USC's set of left-handed shooters to four, with fellow freshman Grace Tehaney also wielding a deft left hand, while returning lefties Verica Bakoc and Sabrina Garabet are already proven sharpshooters. USC's lefties have combined for 61 goals — 20 percent of the Trojans' team total.
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SET DEPTH
USC has also brought in reinforcements at 2-meters. The Trojans now have three true centers at the ready in newcomers Mireia Guiral and Tilly Kearns and sophomore Nina Ceklic. Courtney Fahey and Kaylee Brownsberger also were in the mix at set last year. Freshmen Guiral and Kearns have tag-teamed a 2-meter for a combined 46 goals to date.
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PERIMETER POWER
A powerful presence at set can open up the perimeter, where USC's top guns are ready to strike. Paige Hauschild was USC's top scorer last year, followed by Denise Mammolito, who is now a junior. Fellow junior Maud Megens also is back, standing out as one of the most dangerous scorers in the world. That trio alone has combined for more than a third of USC's goal scoring to date.
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GETTING DEFENSIVE
Cutino Award winner Amanda Longan looms large as arguably the best goalie in collegiate waters. She has two rising proteges alongside her in redshirt sophomore Holly Parker. That duo backs up what is becoming a strong defensive corps, where Paige Hauschild has already proven herself as a relentless defender. So, too, do freshmen Bayley Weber and Mireia Guiral stand to make a defensive impact alongside returning defensive-savvy Trojans Randi Reinhardt and Denise Mammolito.
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SEASON OPENER
Against Cal Baptist in the Trojans' 2019 season opener, USC tacked up the first five goals of the game — all from the hands of newcomers. The first goal of the year came from Mireia Guiral, whose fellow Spaniard Alejandra Aznar drilled three goals in that 5-0 start. Fellow freshman Grace Tehaney also got to the back of the net in that surge before another freshman — Bayley Weber scored her first of a first-period hat trick to help USC along to a 10-2 lead after eight minutes of action. That 10th goal was also served up by a fresh face in Tilly Kearns, while the final two of the day came from new Trojans as well. Freshmen Sophia Lucas and Claire Haas would tally their first career USC goals in their first appearances in Cardinal and Gold to get in on the winning start to 2019. Aznar finished up with five goals to lead the pack, while junior Maud Megens plugged in four. Freshmen Tehaney and Weber had a hat trick apiece in that opening win over Cal Baptist.
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2019 TROJANS AT A GLANCE
The 2019 Trojans opened the season picked No. 1 in the MPSF Preseason Poll and No. 1 in the nation. In USC's arsenal for 2019 are the MPSF Player and Newcomer of the Year in Amanda Longan and Paige Hauschild. Both Longan and Hauschild were First Team All-Americans, while Longan also reigned supreme as the Peter J. Cutino Award winner. USC also boasts two more All-Americans in juniors Denise Mammolito and Maud Megens, who further highlight a grand total of 11 returning Trojans who were on the NCAA Championship-winning roster in 2018. Gone are three All-Americans who took with them two NCAA championship rings in Brianna Daboub, Victória Chamorro and Hayley McKelvey. But USC has added three new international players, along with a set of talented California products who stand out in the Trojan freshman class. Australian import Tilly Kearns is joined by Spaniards Alejandra Aznar and Mireia Guiral as the newest Women of Troy. That trio along with U.S. Junior National Team members Grace Tehaney and Bayley Weber add a fresh depth charge to the USC gameplan. The 2019 Women of Troy are captained by seniors Longan and Courtney Fahey, who have been members of USC's 2016 and 2018 NCAA Championship teams.
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LAST SEASON
With USC's 16th straight win of 2018, the Trojans claimed the university's 105th NCAA team championship and the sixth for the USC women's water polo program on a 5-4 victory over Stanford in USC's home pool. It was the Trojans' second NCAA title in three years, and gave USC a final 26-1 overall record. It was head coach Jovan Vavic's 15th national championship as a head coach at USC, with six titles won by the USC women and nine by the USC men — all under Vavic's watch. USC had gone 5-0 in MPSF play and won the MPSF Tournament title along the way to get the top seed into the NCAA tourney. Junior goalie Amanda Longan and freshman Paige Hauschild were both named finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award, with Longan emerging as the winner of the prestigious award to become the second USC goalie and the seventh Woman of Troy to win it. Both Longan and Hauschild earned First Team All-America honors, along with sophomore Maud Megens. Senior Brianna Daboub earned a spot on the All-America Second Team, with fellow senior Hayley McKelvey on the Third Team. Sophomore Denise Mammolito picked up All-America Honorable Mention. Longan was also the National Player of the Year, with Jovan Vavic named National Coach of the Year. •
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