UCLA
Stanford (Championship)
UCLA Tops Stanford to Capture MPSF Title
April 30, 2017 | Women's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES – The top-seeded UCLA women's water polo team defeated second-seeded Stanford Sunday to win the 11th MPSF title in program history. Rachel Fattal led the Bruins with three goals, but it was the UCLA defense that stole the show in the second half. Six Bruins accounted for 13 steals and the Cardinal was held scoreless over the game's final 20:47, en route to its lowest-scoring output of the season. Carlee Kapana recorded four of her six saves in the final frame.
After both teams felt each other out for the first 2:35 of the contest, Fattal saw an opportunity and took it. The redshirt senior sent a shot past Stanford goalie Gabby Stone to establish an early advantage for the Bruins. The next four minutes were packed with missed opportunities on both sides, as each team exhibited persistent defense during multiple six-on-five opportunities. With 1:05 to go, it was the Cardinal's Dani Jackovich who finally put one through for the Cardinal to make it a whole new ballgame. A Katie Dudley exclusion set the stage for the Bruins to retake the lead, however, and Maddie Musselman did just that. The freshman found the back of the net with 43 seconds to go in the opening frame to re-establish the Bruin lead at 2-1.
It did not take long in the second quarter for the Cardinal to pull even once again. Madison Berggren did the honors this time, less than a minute into the second. A Bronte Halligan exclusion at 5:07 set the table for Stanford, which pulled ahead thanks to a Jordan Raney six-on-five score (4:47). The Halligan exclusion was the first of five between the teams in the second, and it was not until the 2:24 mark that either team was able to capitalize. The veteran Fattal rattled the cage with her second of the day to cap first-half scoring for both teams with a 3-3 tie.
The first 3:54 of the third quarter went by with neither team able to establish an advantage. For the third time, it was Fattal who was finally able to put an end to a dry spell. The goal at 4:06 proved to be the difference, as the defense picked up down the stretch. Musselman tallied three of her four steals in the third quarter, constantly disrupting the Cardinal flow. Alexa Tielmann scored her first goal of the contest during a six-on-five advantage just shy of the quarter's final minute, and the Bruins went to the fourth with a 5-3 lead.
Defense wins championships! The Bruins shut out Stanford in the second half en route to the 6-3 MPSF Championship win. #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/RxlQzTme9S
— UCLA Water Polo (@UCLAWaterPolo) May 1, 2017
The final quarter belonged to Kapana, who recorded the first of her quartet of saves during a five-on-six stretch. The long arms of the Bruin defense and Kapana's presence in the cage repeatedly made opportunities difficult for the Cardinal. An Alys Williams goal doubled up Stanford at 3:58 and there was little looking back from there for UCLA.
The MPSF title marked the 11th all-time for the Bruins, who most recently accomplished the feat in 2015. UCLA now awaits the NCAA.com Selection Show, which will air Monday at 5:00 p.m., PT.
No. 2 Stanford (2, 1, 0, 0 – 3)
Berggren, Jackovich, Raney – 1
No. 1 UCLA (2, 1, 2, 1 – 6)
Fattal – 3; Musselman, Tielmann, Williams – 1
