UCLA
USC
Rally Falls Short as No. 2 USC Edges No. 3 UCLA, 9-8
April 20, 2019 | Women's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES -- No. 3 UCLA (21-5, 4-2) put up a valiant effort but dropped its final game of the 2019 regular season to No. 2 USC (23-1, 5-1 MPSF), 9-8, on Saturday afternoon at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.
In the loss to USC, the Bruins were led by junior Bronte Halligan and senior Lizette Rozeboom, who each scored two goals apiece. Senior Carlee Kapana got the starting nod in the cage for UCLA and went the distance, registering a season-high 13 saves while allowing nine goals.
The Trojans jumped out to an early 4-2 lead at the end of the first period. The Bruins received a goal from the front court by junior Brooke Maxson (6:01) and then freshman Ava Johnson scored on a power play (0:49).
USC won the second period, 2-1, to take a 6-3 lead into the break. The Bruins' only goal of the period came on a strike from the front court by Rozeboom at the 3:57 mark.
The two squads battled to a 2-2 draw in the third with the Trojans leading 8-5 heading into the final stanza. Freshman Val Ayala scored on a 6-on-5 opportunity (6:10) and Halligan converted a penalty shot to cut the lead to 6-5 (4:25). But the Trojans scored the final two goals of the period.
UCLA won the fourth period, 3-1, to provide the 9-8 final. USC opened the scoring in the quarter with a goal from the front court by Paige Hauschild, her fourth of the game (7:27). But the Bruins scored the final three goals of the contest and had a couple of chances to net the game-tying-goal, but couldn't capitalize. Rozeboom added her second from the front court (6:02) as did Halligan (2:38), to make it 9-7. Then junior Maddie Musselman scored on a counter (2:14) to trim the lead to 9-8.
UCLA returns to action this weekend at the MPSF Championship at Stanford, Calif. The third-seeded Bruins will take on sixth-seeded Arizona State on Friday, April 26, at 12:45 p.m. PT at Stanford's Avery Aquatics Center.
No. 2 USC at No. 3 UCLA (Final MPSF Game)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 2 USC | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
6x5 - UCLA - 2/9 - USC - 3/4
Penalties - UCLA - 1/2 - USC - 1/1
USC Goals: Paige Hauschild 4, Maud Megens 2, Grace Tehaney 1, Denise Mammolito, Alejandra Aznar
USC Saves: Amanda Longan 11
UCLA Goals: Bronte Halligan 2, Lizette Rozeboom 2, Maddie Musselman 1, Ava Johnson 1, Val Ayala 1, Brooke Maxson 1
UCLA Saves: Carlee Kapana 13
