UCLA
California
Second-Half Surge Keys UCLA's 10-4 Win over Cal
March 18, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 3 UCLA women's water polo team, behind seven second-half goals, defeated No. 4 California at Spieker Aquatics Center Saturday, 10-4. Rachel Fattal led the way with four goals, including the 202nd of her career, which moved her into third place on the UCLA all-time scoring list.
In a quiet first quarter that saw neither team able to capitalize on an exclusion, Maddie Musselman netted the game's opening goal with 43 seconds remaining in the frame. That was the lone score of the quarter, which ended with the Bruins in the lead, 1-0. Goalies Carlee Kapana of UCLA and Madeline Trabucco of Cal were busy over the game's first eight minutes, as the Bruin keeper tallied four saves, while Cal's posted three of her own. Kapana finished with 11 on the game, while Trabucco posted six.
It did not take nearly as long to get scoring started in the second frame, as Kodi Hill converted 36 seconds into the period to push the Bruin lead to 2-0. California's Emma Wright posted a six-on-five goal at 5:45 to cut the Golden Bears' deficit in half. The teams traded the next two goals, as Rachel Whitelegge posted her second of the season at 4:40 and Anna Illes posted added another six-on-five score to send the game into the half with the Bruins leading 3-2.
The Bruins netted another quick score to open the second half, as Mackenzie Barr scored her first of the game and 11th of the season just 32 seconds into the half. Past the midway point of the frame, Cal would not let the Bruins get out of its sight, as Stephanie Mutafyan trimmed the Golden Bear deficit to one at 3:28 on yet another six-on-five goal.
While the teams' first meeting (Feb. 26) was decided on a Fattal penalty shot with 17 seconds remaining, eerily similar circumstances turned Saturday's game, as well. With another five-meter opportunity, the redshirt senior converted for her first goal of the game and started an onslaught of personal and team success.
Kodi Hill ended the third quarter with her second goal of the game, but the fourth quarter belonged to Fattal. The attacker scored three of the Bruins' four goals over the first 5:04 of the final frame, including one four seconds into the quarter on a six-on-five attempt to extend the Bruin lead to 7-3. She added one at 6:28 of the frame and her fourth and final at 2:56 to answer the second by Illes. Alys Williams tacked on one more to give the Bruins a 10-4 victory.
Cal's Dora Antal, who posted three goals in the teams' first meeting, was forced to leave the game with three exclusions and zero goals scored.
No. 4 California (0, 2, 1, 1 โ 4)
Illes โ 2; Mutafyan, Wright โ 1
No. 3 UCLA (1, 2, 3, 4 โ 10)
Fattal โ 4; Hill โ 2; Barr, Musselman, Whitelegge, Williams โ 1
