UCLA
California (Championship)
UCLA Captures MPSF Tournament Championship, NCAA Berth
April 26, 2015 | Women's Water Polo
Four players scored two goals each to lead second-ranked UCLA past Cal, 9-8, as the Bruins won the MPSF Tournament Championship Sunday at Arizona State's Mona Plummer Aquatics Center.
The victory gave the Bruins (24-2) their third conference championship since 2010 and 10th overall, an MPSF leader. The Bruins also earned the automatic bid into the 2015 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship at Stanford in two weeks. Cal, which suffered its third loss to the Bruins this season, fell to 19-7.
After sophomore Mackenzie Barr scored at 4:08 of the fourth quarter, the Bruins were enjoying a 9-6 lead when Cal called a timeout at 2:30. The Bears came storming back on goals by Dora Antal (2:15) and Emily Loughlin (1:11).
A late turnover by the Bruins in the final minute gave the Bears another chance prior to their final timeout at 0:40. The Bears were able to work the ball into the hole, but the shot was weak and goalkeeper UCLA Sami Hill gobbled it up.
The Bruins' subsequent four-corner offense ran out the clock.
Cal took its only lead of the game, 1-0, on a goal by Roser Tarrago 74 seconds into the game. The Bruins rallied to take a 2-1 second quarter lead on a first quarter goal by India Forster 26 seconds AFTER Tarrago's goal and a second period goal by Emily Donohoe (6:57).
Loughlin tied it 2-2 at 6:28, but the Bruins answered with a pair of goals from junior Alys Williams (3:27) and Donohoe (2:24) for a 4-2 cushion. That didn't last long as the Bears answered at 1:33 on Tarrago's second goal. UCLA led 4-3 at halftime.
After Forster scored 27 seconds after intermission, Tarrago scored at 5:12 of the third period to cut the Bruins' lead to one, 5-4. Williams responded at 1:33 to give UCLA another two-goal cushion.
Cal's Kelly McKee and UCLA's Mackenzie Barr traded scores to open the fourth quarter. In the middle of the quarter Tarrago, and UCLA's Kodi Hill and Barr scored giving the Bruins a 9-6 lead prior to Cal's failed comeback.
Boxscore
Cal (1, 2, 1, 4 – 8)
UCLA (1, 3, 2, 3 – 9)
Cal Scoring:
Tarrago-4; Loughlin-2; McKee, Antal-1
UCLA Scoring:
Williams, Forster, Barr, Donohoe-2; K. Hill-1
Cal Saves: Trabucco-9
UCLA Saves: S. Hill-8
