Women’s water polo defends well despite loss to Stanford

Highlighted by the eight saves of redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Sami Hill, the defensive prowess of the women’s water polo team was on display against Stanford this weekend. But the Bruins’ struggles on the other end of the court left them unable to compete with the Cardinal.

“We did have a handful of players that normally shoot the ball and are capable of shooting the ball very well and at making quick decisions, offensively,” said coach Brandon Brooks. “But, for whatever reasons, they played uncharacteristically.”

Despite practicing heavily all week and displaying some of their best defensive play, the UCLA women’s water polo team lost 8-1 to Stanford. The game was a key MPSF matchup that could have been Stanford’s first conference loss of the season.

The Bruins drew contentment from the fact that they kept No. 2 Stanford to eight goals, an impressive feat considering the Cardinal is averaging 15 goals per game.

“It’s something that we should be proud of,” Hill said. “Holding Stanford down to eight goals twice in regular play was awesome.”

Throughout the game, the team’s confidence diminished as they were unable to penetrate the Cardinal defense, one of the best in the country. Sophomore attacker Emily Donohoe said this lack of confidence ended up costing them the game.

“Stanford really came out and pressed us hard and because of that we were just kind of shocked at first and then we just kind of hesitated on a few shots, and I think that is what ultimately led to (the loss),” Donohoe said.

Donohoe, who was recently named MPSF Player of the Week, was the only Bruin able to overcome that shock to score a goal.

“We knew that if we wanted to win, we just had to stay together as a team and continue to communicate, but in the end, they just came out a little harder,” Donohoe said.

Hill and Donohoe agreed that there was more to this game than what the outcome showed, saying the team battled the entire game despite the stagnant score. Both players also said that the team will continue fighting through the rest of the season.

“The score of this game today didn’t reflect how we played,” Hill said. “We played well and fought every single minute, so people shouldn’t underestimate us because we’re fighters.”