UCLA
California
No. 2 UCLA Edges No. 8 Cal, 4-3
March 26, 2016 | Women's Water Polo
BERKELEY, Calif. – The second-ranked UCLA women's water polo team edged No. 8 California, 4-3, in a defensive showdown on Friday evening. With the win, the Bruins improve to 17-2 on the season and 2-0 in MPSF play.
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively. At the 4:05 mark, the Bears struck first when Carla Carrega scored on a 6-on-5 goal off the cross bar. UCLA failed to respond in the first quarter as Cal's dominant defense held the Bruins scoreless.
It was not until 3:18 remaining in the first half that UCLA found the back of the net on a power play. The Bruins worked the ball around up top, drawing the defense out. Devin Grab tossed it to Lizette Rozeboom on the opposite side of the cage. Rozeboom then fired in a cross-cage shot off the far post to even the score at 1-1.
Coming back from the half, UCLA rattled off two quick goals to take the lead. India Forster scored on the Bruins' first possession. Double teamed in front of the cage, Forster managed to put one past Cal goalie Madison Tagg off an assist from Ashley Zwirner. Shortly after, Kelsey O'Brien put one right over Tagg's hands to extend the lead to 3-1.
It was a back-and-forth battle to close out the third quarter. With 5:47 to go and three seconds left on the shot clock, Cal's Carrega lobbed one in from six meters out to cut UCLA's lead to one. Charlotte Pratt responded for the Bruins on a power play, netting one off an assist from Grab. The Bears had the final word of the quarter as Brooke Vowell put one past UCLA keeper Alex Musselman at 2:35.
The fourth quarter was a defensive battle as both teams were held scoreless for the final eight minutes. As time expired, the Bruins held on for the 4-3 win over the Bears.
Next up, UCLA returns home to host the Bruin Invitational. The two-day event takes place Apr. 2-3, at UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center. Joining the Bruins are No. 10 San Jose State, Pomona-Pitzer, and Redlands.
No. 2 UCLA (0, 1, 3, 0 – 4)Rozeboom, Forster, O'Brien, Pratt – 1
No. 8 Cal (1, 0, 2, 0 – 3)
Carrega – 2, Vowell – 1
Saves: UCLA (Musselman – 9); Cal (Tagg – 9)
