UCLA
UC Irvine
No. 3 UCLA Routs No. 6 UC Irvine in Home Opener
February 17, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES, Calif. โ Over a month into the season and on a rainy Southern California Friday night, the No. 3 UCLA women's water polo team finally opened its home schedule with a 16-1 win over No. 6 UC Irvine. The contest marked the first of four in the regular season for the Bruins at Spieker Aquatics Center.
Just 20 seconds into the match, Bronte Halligan got on the board for the Bruins and there was no looking back. Less than a minute later, Alys Williams scored her first of two in the quarter and three in the game. Maddie Musselman added her first of four at 4:38 of the frame, while Williams and Lizette Rozeboom moved one goal closer to their respective hat tricks. Williams quickly completed hers to begin the second.
Alexa Tielmann scored her first of two at 6:41 of the second quarter to push the UCLA (8-0) lead to 7-0 and force a UC Irvine (7-4) timeout. Musselman added her second after a Cara Borkovec exclusion and then a third with just under a minute to go in the half. Kelsey O'Brien added her first of the night and third of the year just before the buzzer to send the Bruins to the half with a 10-0 lead.
Kodi Hill got into the scoring with a third-quarter score, while Tielmann, Musselman and Rozeboom (on a penalty shot) all added to their multi-score evenings. The Anteaters were able to get on the board, as well, as Mary Brooks got one past Bruin goalie Carlee Kapana to nix the Bruin sophomore's shutout hopes. For the night, Kapana totaled 13 saves in the cage.
Rozeboom netted her third goal of the night to begin the fourth quarter and complete her third hat trick of the season. The Bruins then finished their scoring when Rachel Whitelegge got one past UC Irvine goalkeeper Riley Shaw for the first of the year.
Next up for the Bruins is a trip to Irvine and an appearance in the Barbara Kalbus Invitational. UCLA will take on No. 9 UC San Diego Friday, Feb. 24 (12:30 p.m., PT). The Bruins previously defeated the Tritons at the UCSB Invitational, 17-2 (Jan. 22).
No. 3 UCLA (5, 5, 4, 2 โ 16)Musselman โ 4; Rozeboom, Williams โ 3; Tielmann โ 2; Halligan, Hill, O'Brien, Whitelegge โ 1
No. 6 UC Irvine (0, 0, 1, 0 โ 1)
Brooks โ 1
