Starting MPSF Tournament strong, UCLA women’s water polo skewers Arizona State
Graduate student center Ava Johnson takes a shot during Friday’s game. Johnson scored the Bruins’ first goal of the game and was one of five players to score twice. (Brandon Morquecho/Daily Bruin)
Women’s Water Polo
| No. 3 seed UCLA | 16 |
| No. 6 seed Arizona State | 6 |
By Felicia Keller
April 28, 2023 3:04 p.m.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – Graduate student center Ava Johnson got on the board for the Bruins in their first possession of the game.
But in the five-goal first quarter, it was the freshmen who took over the scoring, picking up the next four.
Behind seven goals from first-year players making their postseason debuts, No. 3 seed UCLA women’s water polo (20-5, 4-2 MPSF) defeated No. 6 seed Arizona State (9-13, 1-5) on Friday at the MPSF tournament in San Jose. With a final score of 16-6, the Bruins will advance to play No. 2 seed Stanford in Saturday’s semifinal.
The Bruins got off to a quick start despite losing the opening sprint and scored on their first three possessions to take a 3-0 lead. The freshmen trio of center/defender Lily Gess and utilities Sienna Green and Genoa Rossi picked up the final three goals of the run.
Combined with redshirt senior goalkeeper Georgia Phillips’ three saves in the first quarter, the Bruins led 5-1 with the first stanza completed.
With 11 different scorers across the game, including three braces from freshmen, the Bruins showcased their depth as they took down the Sun Devils. Utility Anna Pearson was the first of the freshmen to score and ended the game with a brace.
“I think we’re the deepest team here,” Pearson said. “All through our bench, anyone can put the ball away.”
The team’s veterans had some splendor of their own, as the seventh goal for the Bruins came off a long range throw from Phillips on the counterattack to hit graduate student utility Katrina Drake, who threw it across to Johnson for the tap in.
The Bruins continued to extend their lead in the second half with nine goals. Their 10-goal advantage at the end of the game marked their first double digit win since March 12 against San Jose State in the same venue as Friday’s contest .
On the defensive side, Phillips held strong through the first half with eight saves while the Bruins allowed just one goal in three of the game’s four quarters. In the regular season contest between these teams, the Bruins allowed ten goals and built upon that Friday, allowing just six.
“I think our awareness, especially in the first half, was a little bit better, potentially, than the last time we played them,” said associate head coach Jason Falitz. “We put more pressure on their better shooters and didn’t allow them the time that they had also in the last game. I thought we were a little bit sharper in that aspect.”
The Bruins let up slightly at the end of the third quarter, allowing two goals in two minutes, but still maintained a seven goal advantage going into the final period.
Junior goalkeeper Sydney Chiang took the fourth quarter, making her postseason debut. She made six saves and allowed one goal.
“Syd (Chiang) is awesome,” Falitz said. “To be able to get her in and get her some time, she was ready. She made a lot of really good saves there at the end of the game, so we didn’t skip a beat when she went in.”
With UCLA set to face Stanford on Saturday, Rossi said she’s confident about the semifinal.
“This team has worked harder than any other team out there,” Rossi said. “We’re here to play. We’re here to go. … We’re here to win. We’re going to get Stanford.”
