UCLA
UC San Diego (1st Round)
UCLA Dominates UCSD, Advances to Semis
May 13, 2016 | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Due to an explosive offensive effort in the second half, the third-ranked UCLA women's water polo team coasted past No. 10 UC San Diego in the NCAA quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. With the 17-4 win, the Bruins advance to the semifinals of the 2016 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship.
"I thought during the first quarter we were a little hurried and after that we settled down and started to play our game much more and we looked good after that,” said UCLA head coach Brandon Brooks. “I thought my team did a good job offensively, putting the ball away. This is the time of year that we need to execute. I'm very happy with the win."
The Tritons got on the board first as UCSD's Alexis Wieseler converted a power play after Aubrie Monahan was called for an exclusion. Just under three minutes later, Kelsey O'Brien evened the score at 1-1 off an assist from Charlotte Pratt. With 36 seconds left in the first, Alexa Tielmann gave the Bruins their first lead of the game.
The squads traded goals to start the second period. Tielmann opened scoring with a tap in off an entry pass from Mackenzie Barr. The Tritons responded with another power play goal to cut the Bruins' lead to 3-2. UCLA then rattled off three straight goals to take a 6-2 advantage as Barr, O'Brien, and Lizette Rozeboom each found the back of the net. Ending a four minute scoring drought for the Titans, UCSD's Wieseler netted her second of the game. With four seconds left on the clock, Rozeboom notched another to put UCLA on top, 7-3, heading into the half.
The Bruins ran away with it in the second half, netting seven unanswered goals in the third period alone. Ashley Zwirner and Rozeboom notched two apiece, while Tielmann registered a hat trick off an assist from Zwirner. Alex Angermund backhanded one past UCSD's keeper Courtney Miller on a power play, and Barr gave UCLA a 14-3 lead with an unassisted goal to close out the third.
#ICYMI: The Bruins went lights out in the second half against UCSD... https://t.co/2QLYjrRqMC #NCAAwwp #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/MfRbfqe7pq
— UCLA Water Polo (@UCLAWaterPolo) May 13, 2016
In the final eight minutes, the Bruins outscored the Tritons, 3-1. UCSD's Connie Wu slipped one by rookie keeper Carlee Kapana to tally the Tritons' fourth and final goal. For UCLA, Elissia Schilling, Aubrie Monahan, and Angermund each found the back of the net.
"I think if we play as a team and we set each other up, that is UCLA water polo,” said Rozeboom of the Bruins' dominant second half. “We help each other get goals and get steals, and if we play as a team we can accomplish great things."
Overall, UCLA assisted on 12 of its 17 goals—Tielmann, Pratt, and Zwirner each tallied two. Defensively, the Bruins recorded nine steals, led by Zwirner with three. In the cage, senior keeper Alex Musselman put up nine stops in the first three quarters while rookie Carlee Kapana tallied one in the fourth.
Next up, the Bruins face No. 2 Stanford on Saturday at 5:15 pm PDT. The series this season is tied at 1-1.
The 2016 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship will feature live streaming video courtesy of www.ncaa.com. Fans can also find updated results and tournament statistics by visiting UCLA Athletics' Tournament Central.
No. 3 UCLA (2, 5, 7, 3 – 17)
Rozeboom – 4; Tielmann – 3; Zwirner, Barr, O'Brien, Angermund – 2; Schilling, Monahan – 1
No. 10 UCSD (1, 2, 0, 1 – 4)
A. Wieseler – 2; Kistler, Wu – 1
Saves: UCLA (Musselman – 9; Kapana – 1); UCSD (Miller – 5; Scholz – 3)
