Sunday, February 5
San Diego, CA
1:30 PM
UCLA
8
vs
10
USC
Graduate student Val Ayala scored twice for the Bruins against the Trojans.
Photo by: Minette Rubin
No. 3 UCLA Falls to No. 2 USC in Overtime, 10-8
February 05, 2023 | Women's Water Polo
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SAN DIEGO, Calif.ย โ Sophomore Emma Linebackย and graduate student Val Ayala eachย scored two goals to lead No. 3 UCLA women's water polo team (9-1), but the Bruins blew a late lead and fell in overtime, 10-8, toย No. 2 USC (8-0) in the finals of the Triton Invitationalย on Sunday afternoon at UCSD'sย Canyonview Pool.
A total of six Bruins got into the scoring column in the loss.
Redshirt senior Georgia Phillips got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering 10 saves and two steals while allowing 10 goals.
ย
The Bruins led 2-1 after a defensive first period. USC scored first (5:38) but freshman Genoa Rossi tied things up with a strike from the front court (4:39). Graduate student Katrina Drake put the Bruins in front with a goal from the front court (2:36)ย to end the scoring in the first.
UCLA won the second period 3-2, to take a 5-3 lead into the break. The Trojans scored the first two goals of the second period (7:06 and 6:25) to take a 3-2 lead. Freshman Anna Pearson took a feed from freshman Taylor Smith to score a power play goal to knot things up at 3-3 (5:07). Sophomore Nicole Struss would take a perfect feed from Drake at set to put the Bruins back in front (1:49). Lineback scored her first from the front court (0:00) off a feed from Rossi at the buzzer on a 7-on-6 play to end the scoringย in the second quarter.
The Trojans won the third quarter 3-2 to chip away at the Bruins' lead of 7-6ย heading into the final stanza. UCLA scored first in the third when Ayala found the back of the net from the front court for her first score (7:13) that doubled up the Trojans at 6-3. After a score by USC, Lineback struck again from the front court for her second goal (6:20) to push the lead to 7-4. USC scored the final two goals of the period (3:22 and 2:38)ย to end the scoring in the third.
USC won the fourth quarter, 2-1, to tie things up at 8-8 at the end of regulation. Ayala converted a penalty shot (6:37) that was drawn by Pearson to put the Bruins up 8-6. It would be the last goal of the game for UCLA. The Trojans would score twice in the fourth (5:54 and 2:35) to send the game into overtime. The in the extra frames, USC would tack on two more goals in the second OT period (1:54 and 0:48) to put the game away.
Paige Hauschild, Bayley Weber, and Tilly Kearns scored twoย goals apiece to lead USC. UC San Diego did not provide goalkeeper stats.
The Bruins return to action on Saturday, Feb. 11 when they travel to face No. 9 UC Irvine on the road.
GAME NOTES:ย This wasย the 91st meeting between UCLA and USC with the Bruins leading the series 53-38 โฆ UCLA has registered 19 hat tricks in the first 10 games of the year, but failed to register one for just the second time this season against the Trojans (also didn't in the win against Wagner on Jan. 21) โฆ Linebackย saw her streak snapped atย sixth straight hat tricks (tied Tanya Gandy'sย six to open the 2009 season) for the most consecutive hat tricks by a Bruin (since 2000) โฆ Phillips registered a season-high 10 saves against the Trojans.
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 2 USC (Triton Invitational - Finals)
San Diego, Calif.ย (Canyonview Aquatic Center)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1OT | 2OT | FINAL |
| No. 3 UCLA | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| No. 2 USC | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
6x5 โ UCLA: 0/7, USC: 0/7
Penalty Shots โ UCLA: 1/1, USC: 1/1
UCLA Goals:ย Emma Lineback 2, Val Ayala 2, Anna Pearson 1, Genoa Rossiย 1, Katrina Drake 1, Nicole Struss 1
UCLA Saves:ย Georgia Phillips 10
USC Goals:ย Paige Hauschildย 2, Bayley Weber 2,ย Tilly Kearns 2, Grace Tehaneyย 1, Maria Guiral 1, Jenny Janovย 1, Ally Aznar 1
USC Saves:ย n/a
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
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