UCLA
California (Semifinals)
High-Scoring Semifinal Favors Bruins, 14-11
May 13, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
INDIANAPOLIS โ The UCLA women's water polo team advanced into the title game of the NCAA Championships Saturday, as it came out on top of a shootout with California, 14-11. Maddie Musselman led the way with four goals for the Bruins, who will face the winner of Saturday's second semifinal contest between Stanford and USC.
Musselman got things started early for the Bruins with an even-strength goal off the feed from Kodi Hill at 7:32 of the opening frame. Fellow freshman Emma Wright quickly responded for the Golden Bears at 7:04. The answering goal jump-started a Bruin run and three consecutive goals by Rachel Fattal, Alexis Angermund and the second by Musselman. The next three scores were on power plays, including the two by Cal's Emily Loughlin (2:25) and Dora Antal (1:03) to trim the UCLA advantage to 4-3. Bronte Halligan of the Bruins capitalized on an advantage with 33 seconds left to give UCLA a two-goal cushion heading into the second.
Twenty-five seconds into the second quarter, Fattal netted her second goal of the game to double up the Bears. Another power-play opportunity arose for the Golden Bears and Anna Illes made the most of it to make the Bruin lead 6-4 (6:00). Mackenzie Barr's first of the afternoon on Hill's third assist re-established a three-goal lead at 7-4 (5:32), and Alys Williams' first (4:34) again doubled-up the Bears. Another run on exclusions proved advantageous for both sides, as Cal goals by Stephanie Mutafyan and Illes surrounded Barr's second heading into the half, as the Bruins led by a 9-6 score.
For the third time, UCLA received an opening minute goal, this time by Williams (7:06). The teams would trade goals for the duration of the second half, as Kindred Paul netted the next one for Cal and Musselman recorded a hat trick for the second consecutive day. The third power-play goal of the day for Illes cut the Bruin lead to 11-8. Barr then completed her second hat trick in as many days off the feed from Williams, but Wright answered for the Bears just 14 seconds later. In a quarter of hat tricks, Fattal completed one of her own to push the Bruin lead to 13-9 at 1:41 of the frame. Looking poised to take a four-goal lead into the final quarter, Antal her second of the game past Bruin goalkeeper Carlee Kapana with zeroes on the clock to put both teams in double digits.
After the 23 combined goals in the game's first three quarters, defense took over and there were just a pair of scores in the final frame and none until the 2:19 mark, when Musselman scored her fourth of the afternoon. Carla Carrega's goal with 1:00 to go completed a day that saw the Bears convert on 7-of-11 power-play opportunities, but fall short in the semifinal matchup.
In tomorrow's final, the Bruins will face either Stanford or USC. The Bruins have defeated the Cardinal twice this season, including a 6-3 win in the MPSF Final (April 30). UCLA has split two games with USC.
California (3, 3, 4, 1 โ 11)
Illes โ 3; Antal, Wright โ 2; Carrega, Loughlin, Mutafyan โ 1
No. 1 UCLA (5, 4, 4, 1 โ 14)
Musselman โ 4; Barr, Fattal โ 3; Williams โ 2; Angermund, Halligan โ 1
