No. 2 UCLA blows UCI out of the water 18-1

The No. 2 UCLA women’s water polo team opened up MPSF
conference play with a bang, rebounding from Sunday’s loss to
Stanford with an 18-1 victory over UC Irvine Wednesday.

Junior Natalie Golda, and seniors Jessica Lopez and Maureen
Flanagan had three goals each en route to the Bruins (4-1, 1-0
MPSF) fourth victory of the season. It was Golda’s second hat
trick of the season.

“We dominated Sunday’s game and just couldn’t
get the ball to drop. It was good to have a game right after to
bounce back and [re]establish our confidence,” Golda said.
“In today’s game we took the ball and capitalized. I
don’t want to have to say that we didn’t get the ball
to drop again.”

The Bruins scored six times in the opening period and continued
their offensive dominance throughout the game, generating 23 total
shots. For the second time this season, the Bruins registered
double-digit goals, the other time in a 19-0 defeat of UC Santa
Cruz.

Senior goalkeeper Jaime Hipp made saves in three quarters, but
allowed the lone tally for the Anteaters as freshman Adelaide
Perram scored early in the first period. Opponents have not had
more than four goals against Bruin goalkeeping in five games this
season. Freshman Tahlia Kerr relieved Hipp and shut out the
Anteaters in the fourth quarter, giving her a total of five
scoreless quarters in net on the young season.

“Kerr got some experience and shut them out”, head
coach Adam Krikorian said.

Kerr was not the only freshman to make a solid contribution. The
freshman trio of Katie Flanagan, Katherine Beldin and Kelly Rulon
netted two goals apiece in an impressive showing of the
team’s youth and depth. Rulon and freshman center defender
Lauren Heineck started for Adam Krikorian’s squad.

“We have a great freshman class. They are all talented and
very committed to the water polo program. Their hard work paid off
today,” Krikorian said. “Heineck was solid defensively,
unfortunately those statistics do not show up in the box
score”.

The team will host the No. 3 USC Trojans on Friday, Feb. 21 at
the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center at 3 p.m.