UCLA
San Jose State
On Senior Day UCLA Defeats San Jose State, 8-6
April 13, 2014 | Women's Water Polo
All three seniors played and two of them – Becca Dorst and Kelly Ronimus – accounted for half of the Bruins' goal total. The victory was a bounce-back for UCLA (22-3, 4-1) which lost the previous day to top-ranked Stanford at the same site. San Jose State slipped to 19-11, 1-4.
Dorst kept the Bruins on the board in the first quarter, dominating the hole position with a pair of goals after the Spartans had gone up 1-0 in the first 26 seconds on a goal by Rae Lekness. SJSU's Victoria Smith gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at 4:57 before Dorst pushed through a 2-meter back hand shot 30 seconds later. With 23 seconds left in the half, UCLA's Alys Williams scored on a counterattack skip shot to give the hosts a 3-2 advantage.
The Spartans tied it at 3-3 when Smith scored her second goal at 5:40 from the right side. Ronimus got into the boxscore with a goal at 3:27 to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead. Timi Molnar equalized for SJSU at 0:35 with a power play goal after UCLA's Rachel Fattal was excluded.
In the third quarter the Bruins shut down the high-scoring Spartans, and scored twice on goals by Kodi Hill (6:27) and Emily Donohoe (1:42). Hill's goal came off a counterattack, where she fired from point blank range on the right side. Donohoe scored from the same side as the shot clock was winding down.
Dorst recorded her third hat trick of the season a minute and eight seconds into the fourth period with a third 2-meter goal off an assist from Fattal. Down three goals, the Spartans stepped up their offense and narrowed the deficit with a goal from Clara Espar Llaquet (6:38). UCLA's India Forster answered with a rebound shot at 6:06 following Danielle Ferraro's attempt that hit the near post. At 5:42, Bruins' goalkeeper Sami Hill made what may have been the most important defensive play of the game, saving a penalty shot. With 1:50 left the Spartans scored the game's final goal when Smith netted a lob shot off a counterattack.
UCLA will play its final regular season game on Wed., Apr. 16 at USC. The game will be televised live at 5 p.m. by the Pac-12 Networks.
Saturday's Boxscore
UCLA 8, San Jose State 6
SJSU (2, 2, 0, 2 —6)
UCLA (3, 1, 2, 2—8)
Goals: UCLA (Dorst-3, Williams, Ronimus, K. Hill, Donohoe, Forster). SJSU (Smith-3, Lekness, Molnar, Espar Llaquet))
Saves UCLA (Sami Hill-9); SJSU (Katelynn Thompson-9)
