UCLA
3-0
California
5-1
No. 2 UCLA Crushes No. 6 California, 11-5
March 13, 2021 | Women's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELESย --ย No. 2 UCLA (3-0, 1-0 MPSF) opened up its home slate and MPSF season with an 11-5 win over No. 6 California (5-1, 0-1 MPSF) on Saturday morning at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. The Bruins improved to 60-13ย all-time against the Golden Bears with their fourth straight win over California.
Senior Lexi Liebowitz and freshman Malia Allen each scored two goals to lead the Bruins' offense. Redshirt sophomore Georgia Phillips got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 12 saves while allowing five goals in her season debut.
Sophomore Ava Johnson got the Bruins on the board first with a lob shot from two meters (5:40). Sophomore Abbi Hill gave UCLA a 2-1 lead with a power play goal (3:39). Then Allen scored her first of the game on a counter attack (2:58) to push the lead to 3-1. California would score a goal to cut the Bruins' lead to 3-2 at the end of the first period.
Junior Katrina Drake opened the scoring in the second period with a strong goal at set (7:44) to put the Bruins up 4-2. Then sophomore Hannah Palmer found open water off of a counter pass fromย Philips (7:14) to extend the lead to 5-2. Allen then set up junior Val Ayala who wentย cross-cage leftย for her first goal of the game (4:47) to make it 6-3 UCLA.ย Senior Brooke Maxson foundย senior Roxy Wheaton, who scored from the outside for her first score of the morning (0:50) to put the Bruins up 7-4 at the break.
Allen walked into open water and found the back of the net for her second goal of the game (5:05) to open the scoring in the third period with UCLA doubling up Cal, 8-4. It was the only goal for either team in the period.
Senior Lexi Liebowitz fired a cross-cage shot that found the back of the net (4:20) to open the scoring in the fourth period, pushing the Bruins' lead to five goals at 9-4. Hill then found Liebowitz on the perimeter who scored her second of the game (1:29) to make it 10-5.ย Sophomore Brooke Dotenย kicked it out to freshman Anneliese Miller, who struck the back of the cage to provide the 11-5 final.
UCLAย returns to action tomorrow, Mar. 14ย at 11:00 a.m. PT when itย hosts California againย at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.
No. 6 California at No. 2 UCLAย (Home Opener - MPSF Opener - Game 3)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 6 California | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| No. 2 UCLA | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 |
6x5 -ย UCLA - 1/6 - CAL - 2/11
Penalties -ย UCLA - 0/0 - CAL - 1/1
CAL Goals:ย Brigit Mulder 3, Cecily Turner 1, Reagan Whitney 1
CAL Saves:ย Isabel Williams 3, Cassidy Ball 2
UCLA Goals:ย Lexi Liebowitz 2, Malia Allen 2, Abbi Hill 1, Val Ayala 1, Hannah Palmer 1, Katrina Drakeย 1, Anneliese Millerย 1, Ava Johnson 1, Roxy Wheaton 1
UCLA Saves:ย Georgia Phillips 12
Team Stats
Ava Johnson
5:40
Brigit Mulder
4:03
Abbi Hill
3:39
Malia Allen
2:58
Cecily Turner
1:10
Katrina Drake
7:44
Hannah Palmer
7:14
Brigit Mulder
5:01
Val Ayala
4:47
Reagan Whitney
2:17
Roxy Wheaton
0:50
Malia Allen
5:05
Lexi Liebowitz
4:20
Brigit Mulder
1:58
Lexi Liebowitz
1:29
Anneliese Miller
0:31
