UCLA
California
No. 3 UCLA Captures Third Place at MPSF Championship
April 28, 2019 | Women's Water Polo
SOCIAL MEDIA: WWP on Twitter | WWP on Facebook | WWP on Instagram
STANFORD, Calif. --ย No. 3 UCLA (23-6) captured third place at the MPSF Championship on Sunday afternoon with a 7-6 win over No. 4 California (16-7) at Stanford's Avery Aquatics Center.
Junior Maddie Musselman led all scorers with three goals against the Golden Bears. Seniorย Carlee Kapanaย got the starting nod in the cage for UCLA and went the distance, registering 12 saves while allowing six goals.
Emma Wright scored the first goal of the game on a power play for the Golden Bears (7:12). Junior Maddie Musselman set up senior Lizette Rozeboom for a power play score to tie the game at 1-1 (5:06). California regained the lead at 2-1 with a power play goal from Brigit Mulder (1:43). Musselman then registered her second assist on another power play, this time setting up senior Kelsey Blackerย to tie the game (0:13) at 2-2 heading into the second period.
Musselman then scored her first goal of the game on a power play (5:50), which she drew with an exclusion,ย to open the scoring in the second period, giving UCLA its first lead of the game at 3-2. That would be the only goal of the second quarter as UCLA would take the 3-2 lead into the break after pitching a shutout in the period.
The third quarter was a wild affair with the Bruins and the Golden Bears each scoring four goals. Junior Bronte Halligan gave UCLA a 4-3 lead (6:13) for the first natural goal of the game on a front court shot. Then Musselman scored her second of the game at full strength (5:40) to push the lead to 5-3. Musselman then completed her hat trick on a power play (2:53) to make it 6-4 UCLA. Then with the game tied, sophomore Roxy Wheaton skipped the ball past Cal's goalie, Madison Tagg, for a power play score (0:13), giving the Bruins a 7-6 lead heading into the fourth.
Neither team managed to score in the final period with both teams going 0-for-2 on power plays in the fourth quarter.
UCLA now waits for the NCAA Selection show to find out its fate for the 2019 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship at Stanford's Avery Aquatics Center from May 10-12.
No. 4 California vs.ย No. 3 UCLAย (MPSF Third-Place Game)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 4 California | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
6x5 -ย UCLA - 5/8 - CAL - 3/8
Penalties -ย UCLA - 0/0 - CAL - 0/0
USC Goals:ย Claire Sonne 2, Elli Protopapas 1, Hannah DeRose 1, Brigit Mulderย 1, Emma Wright 1
USC Saves:ย Madison Taggย 18
UCLA Goals:ย Maddie Musselman 3, Lizette Rozeboom 1, Kelsey Blackerย 1, Bronte Halligan 1, Roxy Wheaton 1
UCLA Saves:ย Carlee Kapanaย 12
