UCLA
Arizona State
Bruins Advance to Finals of Triton Invitational
February 09, 2020 | Women's Water Polo
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. --ย No. 3 UCLA (13-1, 1-0 MPSF) used a decisive scoring run in the third quarter to defeat No. 8 Arizona State, 11-8, in the semifinals of the UCSD Triton Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Canyonview Aquatic Center. The Bruins improved to 27-1 all-time against ASU, which fell to 8-2 on the season.
The Bruins were led by sophomore Katrina Drake, who scored a career-high four goals. Freshman Quinn Winter got the start in the cage for the Bruins and played the first half. She kept UCLA in the game in the early going, making a stop on a penalty shot and forcing another penalty shot to missย while tallying a total of two saves to goย with one steal andย giving up four goals. Redshirt freshman Georgia Phillips played the second half, registering two stops while giving up four goals.
Drake got the Bruins on the board first with a goal at two meters (5:40) but ASU's Eszter Kiss tied it at 1-1 with a goal from the front court (5:10). Sophomore Bella Baiaย gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with a power play goal (2:03). But ASU scored back-to-back goals (1:39 & 0:50) to take a 3-2 lead into the second quarter.
Freshman Abbi Hill tied the game at 3-3 with a power play goal (5:02) to open the scoring in the second quarter. ASU would regain the lead at 4-3 on a power play goal from Alison Cameron (3:51). But the Bruins would reel off five straight goals to put the game away. Senior Emily Skellyย began the run with a strike from the front court (3:35) and Drake scored her second from set (0:34) to end the scoring in the first half with the Bruins leading 5-4 at the break.
The Bruins dominated the third period, 5-1, to take a 10-5 lead into the fourth. Junior Lexi Liebowitz continued the scoring run with a goal on a 6-on-5 opportunity (7:25), followed by a goal from two meters by Drake to complete her hat trick (6:26). Junior Myna Simmons concluded the five straight goals with a shot from the front court (5:36) with the Bruins leading 8-4. After a goal at set from ASU's Meghan Beaudetย (4:15), the Bruins got back-to-back goals from Drake, her fourth at two meters (1:49) and a second goal from Liebowitzย (0:52) on a power play to end the scoring in the third with the Bruins leading 10-5.
Arizona State won the final period, 3-1, but the outcome of the game was never in doubt. Sophomore Val Ayala scored the only goal for the Bruins in the fourth on a counter (0:35) that put the Bruins up 11-7. Beaudet scored the final goal of the game for ASU on a power play (0:03) to provide the 11-8 final.
UCLAย returns to action tonight at 5:50 p.m. PT in the finals of the Triton Invitational against No. 1 USC at Triton Pool.
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 8 Arizona State (Game 14 - UCSD Triton Invitational - Semifinals)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 8 ASU | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 11 |
6x5 -ย UCLA - 3/6 - ASU - 3/8
Penalties -ย UCLA - 0/0 - ASU - 0/2
ASU Goals:ย Borbala Kekesi 2,ย Meghan Beaudet 2,ย Alison Cameron 2,ย Amira Van Buren 1,ย Eszter Kiss 1
ASU Saves:ย not available
UCLA Goals:ย Katrina Drake 4, Lexi Liebowitz 2, Abbi Hill 1, Bella Baia 1, Val Ayala 1, Myna Simmons 1, Emily Skellyย 1
UCLA Saves:ย Quinn Winter 2, Georgia Phillips 2
