Behind attacker’s five goals, women’s water polo takes down Hawai’i
Junior attacker Maddie Musselman logged her third hat trick of the season for UCLA women’s water polo through just two quarters. Musselman finished the night with five goals. (Ellie Tsai/Daily Bruin)
By Jack Perez
Feb. 1, 2019 10:17 p.m.
The Bruins played at played at home for the first time this season and left with a win against their highest-ranked opponent.
No. 3 UCLA women’s water polo (8-0) defeated No. 5 Hawai’i (4-1) 12-8 in the Bruins’ home opener at Spieker Aquatics Center.
Junior attacker Maddie Musselman scored five goals for the fifth time in her career as a Bruin and completed her third hat trick of the season in the second quarter.
“Being in the present moment when it’s your opportunity to step up (is important),” Musselman said. “You have to finish. You do it for your team, and not for yourself.”
The Bruins and Rainbow Wahine were scoreless for the first half of the first quarter. Musselman netted the first two for UCLA, and sophomore attacker Roxy Wheaton added one to put the Bruins up 3-0 at the end of the period.
Musselman added two more goals to her tally in the second frame. Freshman attacker Val Ayala and junior attacker Bronte Halligan each scored once to bring the Bruins’ lead to 7-2 at the half.
“I don’t know if anything goes through my mind when I play water polo,” Halligan said. “It’s more of an out-of-body experience. Sometimes you’re just on. I got the opportunity to shoot a few times.”
Ayala and Halligan both scored their second goals in the third quarter. UCLA defense allowed a last-second goal to Hawai’i to make the score 9-4 going into the final period.
Musselman said awareness and communication were two big improvements that helped limit Hawai’i to four goals through three quarters.
“They have two great centers who hold really good position and if we don’t know what’s going on behind us then we’re going to be playing a lot of 5-on-6,” Musselman said. “We knew that coming in having our heads on a swivel was really big for us this game.”
Senior goalie Carlee Kapana played three quarters and logged nine saves. Sophomore goalie Jahmea Bent had two saves, including a penalty stop, in the final quarter. The teams combined for seven goals in the last frame.
The Bruins will have games against the No. 14 Fresno State Bulldogs (2-6) and No. 15 Loyola Marymount (2-0) on Saturday morning. Kapana said while playing earlier in the day is tough, knowing how to play against their opposition will help out the Bruins.
“(One key) is getting up early and getting energized,” Kapana said. “Early games are always hard to get hyped for. Just thinking about memorizing their personnel and just reacting to the ball (will be important).”
