UCLA splashes into spring with strong win over Gauchos

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Robin
Beauregard competes in a 41-1 win over UC Santa Barbara on
Friday.

By Emily Whichard
Daily Bruin Contributor

A three-week hiatus from competition didn’t rust the No. 2
UCLA women’s water polo team. The Bruins came out in full
force on Friday for their last home game against No. 7 UC Santa
Barbara.

The 14-1 victory moved the Bruins to 12-2 overall and 7-0 in the
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference. The Gauchos fell to
7-8 overall and 2-3 MPSF.

UCLA didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard with
a goal from sophomore Jessica Lopez and another from junior Kelly
Heuchan in the first quarter.

The score continued to rise in the second quarter with goals
from senior Coralie Simmons and sophomore Ashley Stachowski.

Entering the second half with a 4-0 advantage, the Bruins put
the game out of reach with two more goals from Simmons and a third
from fellow senior Kristin Guerin. With two minutes remaining in
the third, the Gauchos posted their lone goal of the game. UCLA
countered with goals from freshman Thalia Munro and junior Jenny
Lamb in the final minute of the quarter.

The Bruins left nothing to chance in the final quarter, scoring
an additional five goals. Guerin added one more to her daily total
while freshman Natalie Golda added two of her own. Sophomores
Maureen Flanagan and Devon McIntyre each found the back of the goal
once to finish off the Gauchos.

The seniors were honored at their final home match at Sunset
Recreation Center. Seniors Coralie Simmons and Kristin Guerin
shined in the spotlight with a total of five goals in the
victory.

The Bruins travel to Palo Alto to face their harshest competitor
of the season, the Stanford Cardinal, on April 6.