Top-ranked UCLA, Stanford to battle for dominance in women’s water polo

The UCLA women’s water polo team is under fire with Stanford at its heels gunning for the No. 1 spot in the country.

The defending champion and No. 2-ranked Cardinal has a shot at reestablishing hegemony over the national women’s water polo arena this year, and the Bruins are an immediate glaring obstacle as the upstart No. 1 team in the country. When the two teams face off Saturday in Stanford, it’s not only about asserting dominance over the other team, but also earning the crown as the new Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season champs.

“We need to be able to play fast, we need to be able to think fast, and we need to be able to maintain poise and composure under pressure,” said coach Brandon Brooks. “I don’t see any weaknesses (in Stanford). I think they’re really good top to bottom. That’s why they’re the defending champs, but it’s on us to create opportunities.”

UCLA’s history with Stanford proves that composure is paramount in determining the Bruins’ success. Last year, their attempt to usurp the Cardinal was thwarted multiple times as they folded under pressure in the second half. In both the MPSF and NCAA title games, the Bruins were knocking on the door of usurping the Cardinal reign, as they held 5-3 halftime leads in each contest. However, Stanford shut the door firmly, not allowing UCLA to score a second-half goal in either game, beating the Bruins 6-5 in MPSFs and 9-5 in NCAAs.

With the team’s high volume of returning players this year, the Bruins will be able to keep a cooler head against the Cardinal because they have a team that isn’t as green as it was last year, said junior attacker Charlotte Pratt.

Saturday’s showdown in the Bay Area could give an early insight into what might happen for the Bruins during this year’s postseason run.

UCLA (20-1, 4-0 MPSF) has defeated Stanford (18-1, 3-0) once already this season; however, it was a close 7-6 double-overtime win. Meanwhile, the Cardinal is responsible for the Bruins’ only loss on their record, beating UCLA 10-6 on Feb. 1.

“They have a lot of movement, so we’ve been focusing on drive defense and communication,” said redshirt senior goalkeeper Sami Hill.

Hill said defense has always been a staple for UCLA, but added that the Bruins have become more offensively aggressive as the year has progressed. The redshirt senior acknowledged the importance of attacking on offense when Stanford gets into its zone defense.

Hill said her ultimate objective is to make safe passes out of the goal to reliable offensive players.

“We have a lot of fast girls on our team. I think that another strength of ours is our speed, so I’m always looking for someone to be up on the counter. Usually (senior attacker Emily) Donohoe’s up or (junior attacker Rachel Fattal),” Hill said. “I look for how I can set them up for success on offense.”

Although Fattal is UCLA’s leading scorer and continues to have multi-goal games, Stanford’s Kiley Neushul is ahead of Fattal in individual scoring and poses a threat to the Bruins’ standout defense.

If past is prologue, Saturday’s outcome will be decided by the Bruins’ second-half play. In last year’s make-or-break games, Stanford was able to seize control over UCLA, as evidenced by the Cardinal’s ability to consistently shut down the Bruin offense in the second half. Brooks said each team will be tested on its ability to impose its will on the game.

“If we lose, then it’s going to be because they were able to capitalize on opportunities they created,” Brooks said. “They were able to play their style, and we didn’t react well enough to what they’re doing.”