No. 2 UCLA women’s water polo poised for MPSF play
After 17 games, UCLA’s schedule is shifting as the team will now play primarily single-game matchups from here on out, rather than playing in tournaments with multiple teams. (Austin Yu/Daily Bruin)
By Erik Rehnberg
Feb. 28, 2014 12:54 a.m.
Saturday’s rematch against Loyola Marymount will mark the start of a new segment of the season for UCLA’s women’s water polo team.
After four tournaments in the first several weeks of the season, the Bruins are now preparing to play a series of individual games that will determine their seeding for postseason play.
While No. 2 UCLA (15-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) has already faced a number of teams in its conference, those games have not counted for their conference record. Next week, when the team takes on No. 5 Arizona State at home, the game will count for MPSF standings and, ultimately, the team’s seeding for the MPSF tournament in late April.
The single-game segment of the season means a different focus for UCLA at practice.
“Not only can we focus on playing as a team but also how to defend and attack (other teams),” said junior attacker Emily Donohoe.
Only having to prepare for one team, instead of four, allows the Bruins to single out the specific challenges of each weekend.
“Since you do have some tape (of other teams), you do have some knowledge of the other team,” said coach Brandon Brooks. “You do have to take into account what the other team’s strengths are and hopefully minimize those strengths.”
This weekend, the strength the Bruins are most focused on minimizing is LMU’s ability to drive the ball to the goal and the team’s ability to remain calm on defense, Brooks said.
While UCLA will be paying plenty of attention to other teams, the Bruins still remain focused on themselves in the new segment of the season. A win over the then-No.2 Cardinal Sunday lifted the Bruins from third to second in the rankings, but a loss in overtime against the No. 1 Trojans later in the day, prevented the Bruins from claiming the top spot – at the tournament or in national rankings.
At this point in the season, the Bruins know what they need to do to continue to compete against other top teams, said assistant coach Molly Cahill.
“I think just 100 percent effort and consistency in our play no matter who we’re competing against would be stressed this week,” Cahill said.
The last time UCLA played LMU in the final game of the UCLA Invitational in the first weekend of the season, nine Bruins scored to help beat the Lions 15-6.
The rematch will take place at LMU at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
