UCLA
Loyola Marymnt
UCLA Women's Water Polo Back In Championship Game
May 12, 2001 | Women's Water Polo
May 12, 2001
Stanford, CA- Playing under the lights of the newly constructed Avery Aquatics Complex at Stanford University, the No. 2 UCLA Bruins (17-4) defeated the No. 3 Loyola Marymount Lions (22-7, 11-1, in the semifinals of the inaugural NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships. The Bruins now move on to the championship game against No. 1 Stanford, scheduled for Sunday, May 13, at 5:00 p.m.
Although the game started off slow, with missed shots and turnovers from both ends, it quickly turned into a typical UCLA-dominated game. Even though the first quarter went scoreless, the Bruins did not lack opportunity. UCLA took six shots on goal, but was unable to find the back of the net. On the defensive end, the Bruins' pressing defense limited LMU to a mere two shots on goal, both of which were grabbed by Jaime Hipp.
In the second quarter, however, UCLA began converting their opportunites. With 5:40 to go in the second, LMU's Danielle Worrill was ejected, creating a 6-5 chance for the Bruins. UCLA wasted no time, as Coralie Simmons threw a shot past LMU goalie Devon Courtney for a 1-0 lead. UCLA did not look back, scoring four more goals in the last five minutes to take a 5-0 into the half. Robin Beauregard rifled a shot past Courtney a minute after Simmons' goal, and less than a minute later, the Bruins converted their second 6-5 as Maureen Flanagan assisted Kelly Heuchan for her first goal of the game. In the final minute of the half, Thalia Munro scored on a UCLA counter-attack and Heuchan added her second goal, sneaking the ball in with four seconds left in the second.
LMU scored their first and only goal of the game at the six minute mark in the third. Cara Schindler's left-handed backhand shot skipped by Hipp to put the Lions on the board and it make it a 5-1 game. The Bruins responded by scoring two more goals of their own in the third. Kelly Heuchan recored a hat trick as she scored her third goal off a pass from Kristin Guerin. Then Hipp hit Elaine Zivich on an outlet pass, who scored with an opposite-handed shot pass Courtney to make it 7-1 going into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, the Bruins added a quick goal to increase the lead to 8-1, as Jenny Lamb hit the back of the net for her first goal of the game at 6:46. Mari Joyce tacked on the Bruins' ninth goal, a 6-5 shot off a rebound with 2:57 left in the game. Maureen Flanagan scored the third goal of the quarter at 1:32 on another assist from Hipp. With four seconds remaining, Zivich scored her second goal of the game off a pass from Joyce, to end the scoring at 11-1.
The Bruins' stifling defense limited LMU to inly 15 shots on goals, with three of those coming from goalkeeper Devon Courtney. Additionally, UCLA had an impressive 16 steals in the game. The Bruins converted on three out of their four 6-5 opportunities, while LMU did not score on either of their chances. Eight different players hit the back of the net for UCLA.
In the other semifinal game earlier in the evening, Stanford (27-0) shutout No. 4 Brown (21-10) by a score of 12-0, to advance to the title game against UCLA.
Scoring 1 2 3 4 Total LMU 0 0 1 0 1 UCLA 0 5 2 4 11LMU Goals: Cara Schindler
UCLA Goals: Kelly Heuchan 3, Elaine Zivich 2, Robin Beauregard, Maureen Flanagan, Mari Joyce, Jenny Lamb, Thalia Munro, Coralie Simmons
Saves: LMU- Courtney (6) UCLA- Hipp (7)
