Sunday, February 25
Newport Beach, CA
11:30 AM
UCLA
14-0
15
vs
9
Hawai'i
11-2
1
2
3
4
F
Hawai'i
3
5
1
0
9
UCLA
1
4
3
7
15
The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, paced by sophomore Anna Pearson's game-high four goals.
Photo by: Minette Rubin
No. 1 UCLA Orchestrates Epic Run to Beat No. 2 Hawai'i, 15-9
February 25, 2024 | Women's Water Polo
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. --ย No. 1 UCLA (14-0) rallied from a five-goal deficit for the second time this season again No. 2 Hawai'i (11-2) to post a 15-9 win in theย championship game of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Marian Bergeson Aquatic Complex at Corona del Mar High School. UCLA improved to 58-3 all-time in the series history with the Rainbow Wahine.
The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, paced by sophomore Anna Pearson's game-high four goals. Senior Malia Allen paced the Bruins' offense with six points (three goals and three assists). Sophomore Taylor Smith also tallied four points (two goals and two assists) and freshman Panni Szegedi also scored twice and added an assist for a total of three pointsย against the Rainbow Wahine. Junior Molly Renner contributed three points on a goal and two assists for the Bruins.
Freshman Lauren Steeleย got the start in the cage and went the distance, recording 16 saves and one steal, while allowing nine goals.
The Bruins trailed 3-1 at the end of the first period. Hawai'iย scored five more goals in the second period and led 8-3 with 1:06 to go, before UCLA caught lightning in a bottle. The 12-1 run began innocently enough with a goal from two meters by freshman Natasha Kieckhafer (0:48) off a feed from Allen. Then with 0:04 seconds remaining in the first half, Pearson kept the momentum going into the break with a power play goal off an assist from Rennerย to make it 8-5.
UCLA came out of the gates and scored on the opening possession of the third period with another power play goal (7:34), this time from Rennerย on a 6-on-4 and off a feed from Szegedi. Allen would follow that with a strike from the front court (3:13) to pull UCLA to within one at 8-7. Hawai'i would end the Bruins' modest four-goal scoring run (2:34) with a power play goal. It would be the last goal the Rainbow Wahine would net. The Bruins would pull to within one at 9-8 with 0:18 remaining when Pearson completed her hat trick from two meters off a pass from Smith.
The Bruins would dominate the fourth quarter, 7-0, to provide the 15-9 victory. Szegedi opened the scoring with a goal from the front court (7:10) to tie the game up at 9-9. Then she would score the eventual game-winning goal by converting a penalty shot (6:27) that was drawn by Pearson. Pearson would tack on her fourth goal (5:15), followed by Smith's first goal (3:35) to put UCLA up 12-9. Allen's second goal (2:11) came on a counter and put the Bruins up 13-9. Smith then scored a second goal (1:22) from the front court to extend the lead to 14-9. Allen completed her hat trick to end the scoring with a power play goal (0:44) off another assist from Smith.
UP NEXT: The Bruins return to MPSF action when they travel to Blooming, Ind., to take on No. 13 Indiana on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 8:00 a.m. PST. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
No. 2 Hawai'i vs. No. 1 UCLA (Barbara Kalbus Invitational - Finals - Game 14)
6x5 -ย UCLA - 4/11 - UH - 3/7
Penalties -ย UCLA - 1/1 - UH - 2/2
UH Goals:ย Bernadette Doyle 3, Bia Mantellato Dias 2, Lot Stertefeldย 1, Jordan Wedderburn 1, Alba Bonamusa Boix 1, Lucia Gomez de la Puente 1
UH Saves:ย Daisy Logtens 11
UCLA Goals:ย Anna Pearson 4, Malia Allen 3, Taylor Smithย 2, Panni Szegedi 2, Hannah Palmer 1, Natasha Kieckhafer 1, Molly Renner 1, Lily Gess 1
UCLA Saves:ย Lauren Steele 16
ย
The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, paced by sophomore Anna Pearson's game-high four goals. Senior Malia Allen paced the Bruins' offense with six points (three goals and three assists). Sophomore Taylor Smith also tallied four points (two goals and two assists) and freshman Panni Szegedi also scored twice and added an assist for a total of three pointsย against the Rainbow Wahine. Junior Molly Renner contributed three points on a goal and two assists for the Bruins.
Freshman Lauren Steeleย got the start in the cage and went the distance, recording 16 saves and one steal, while allowing nine goals.
The Bruins trailed 3-1 at the end of the first period. Hawai'iย scored five more goals in the second period and led 8-3 with 1:06 to go, before UCLA caught lightning in a bottle. The 12-1 run began innocently enough with a goal from two meters by freshman Natasha Kieckhafer (0:48) off a feed from Allen. Then with 0:04 seconds remaining in the first half, Pearson kept the momentum going into the break with a power play goal off an assist from Rennerย to make it 8-5.
UCLA came out of the gates and scored on the opening possession of the third period with another power play goal (7:34), this time from Rennerย on a 6-on-4 and off a feed from Szegedi. Allen would follow that with a strike from the front court (3:13) to pull UCLA to within one at 8-7. Hawai'i would end the Bruins' modest four-goal scoring run (2:34) with a power play goal. It would be the last goal the Rainbow Wahine would net. The Bruins would pull to within one at 9-8 with 0:18 remaining when Pearson completed her hat trick from two meters off a pass from Smith.
The Bruins would dominate the fourth quarter, 7-0, to provide the 15-9 victory. Szegedi opened the scoring with a goal from the front court (7:10) to tie the game up at 9-9. Then she would score the eventual game-winning goal by converting a penalty shot (6:27) that was drawn by Pearson. Pearson would tack on her fourth goal (5:15), followed by Smith's first goal (3:35) to put UCLA up 12-9. Allen's second goal (2:11) came on a counter and put the Bruins up 13-9. Smith then scored a second goal (1:22) from the front court to extend the lead to 14-9. Allen completed her hat trick to end the scoring with a power play goal (0:44) off another assist from Smith.
UP NEXT: The Bruins return to MPSF action when they travel to Blooming, Ind., to take on No. 13 Indiana on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 8:00 a.m. PST. The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network.
No. 2 Hawai'i vs. No. 1 UCLA (Barbara Kalbus Invitational - Finals - Game 14)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 2ย Hawai'i | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 15 |
Penalties -ย UCLA - 1/1 - UH - 2/2
UH Goals:ย Bernadette Doyle 3, Bia Mantellato Dias 2, Lot Stertefeldย 1, Jordan Wedderburn 1, Alba Bonamusa Boix 1, Lucia Gomez de la Puente 1
UH Saves:ย Daisy Logtens 11
UCLA Goals:ย Anna Pearson 4, Malia Allen 3, Taylor Smithย 2, Panni Szegedi 2, Hannah Palmer 1, Natasha Kieckhafer 1, Molly Renner 1, Lily Gess 1
UCLA Saves:ย Lauren Steele 16
ย
Team Stats
HAW
UCLA
Shots
36
35
Goals
9
15
Assists
7
11
Points
16
26
Exclusions
12
9
Steals
8
10
Sprints
1
3
1
Lily Gess
7:44
Bernadette Doyle
7:27
Bernadette Doyle
4:42
Lot Stertefeld
0:04
2
Bia Mantellato Dias
7:23
Bia Mantellato Dias
5:32
Lucia Gomez de la Puente
3:21
Hannah Palmer
2:19
Alba Bonamusa Boix
2:07
Anna Pearson
1:37
Jordan Wedderburn
1:06
Natasha Kieckhafer
0:48
Anna Pearson
0:04
3
Molly Renner
7:34
Malia Allen
3:13
Bernadette Doyle
2:34
Anna Pearson
0:18
4
Panni Szegedi
7:10
Panni Szegedi
6:27
Anna Pearson
5:15
Taylor Smith
3:35
Malia Allen
2:11
Taylor Smith
1:22
Malia Allen
0:44
Game Leaders
Shots
7
Goals
3
Assists
3
Points
6
Shots
5
Goals
4
Assists
0
Points
4
Shots
5
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
2
Points
4
Players Mentioned
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water PoloATK
/ Women's Water PoloUTL
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water PoloATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
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