UCLA
Long Beach State
UCLA Hosts Long Beach State, Hartwick Saturday
March 22, 2018 | Women's Water Polo
ON DECK THIS WEEK
Coming off its first home game in over two months, No. 4 UCLA is back at Spieker Aquatics Center Saturday for an afternoon doubleheader with a pair of top-15 opponents. The Bruins will take on No. 14 Long Beach State in the earlier of the contests (3 p.m.) before wrapping up their day with a game against Hartwick (5 p.m.). The day represents a break from MPSF play for UCLA, which is off to a 1-1 start to its conference campaign.
SERIES HISTORY
The Bruins hold a 24-0 all-time record versus the 49ers, who they have yet to play in 2018. Last year, UCLA topped the Beach by a 13-2 score at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. Rachel Fattal scored four times to lead the Bruins, who scored the game's first six goals and never looked back. Hartwick, out of Oneonta, NY, willl also pay its first visit to Westwood since 2009. The teams squared off in a pair of invitational games in 2011, with UCLA taking down the Hawks in the latest meeting, 12-4 (Feb. 12). Kelly Easterday, Priscilla Orozco and Noel Umphrey scored two goals each.
WEEK IN REVIEW
In its first home game since Jan. 13โand 2018 debut at Spieker Aquatics Centerโthe No. 4 UCLA women's water polo team defeated No. 21 San Jose State, 15-4 (March 18). The Bruins scored 10 of the game's first 11 goals, with Alexis Angermund tallying her fifth career hat trick along the way. Kelsey Blacker, Devin Grab, Maddie Musselman and Lizette Rozeboom also had multi-goal performances for UCLA, with two scores apiece. Carlee Kapana (eight saves) and Jahmea Bent (five) split time in the cage.
MUSSELMAN FASTEST TO 100
With her second conversion versus Cal (Feb. 25), Musselman became the fastest Bruin to 100 career goals. She previously set the UCLA freshman record for goals scored with 69. The Newport Beach, Calif. native has not missed a beat in her second season, leading the team in goals (37) while sharing the team lead with Bronte Halligan in assists (23) trailing just Halligan in the steals department (34). She has tallied 14 multi-goal games, including five hat tricks. For her efforts in the Bruins' win over UCI, Musselman was named MPSF Player of the Week for Week 6. She earned a conference record seven Newcomer of the Week awards during her freshman campaign, during which she was also named a First-Team ACWPC All-American and the MPSF Newcomer of the Year. Teammates Grab (97 goals) and Rozeboom (97) are both nearing the 100-goal mark.
CLUTCH PERFORMERS
UCLA is 5-2 in its seven games decided by two or fewer goals and leading scorers Musselman and Rozeboom have come up big in the clutch. Musselman has scored the difference-making goal in four of those wins, while Rozeboom netted the game winner with 10 seconds remaining in the Bruins' 7-6 win over Arizona State in the semifinal round of the Triton Invitational (Feb. 11).
NEW CONTRIBUTORS
Thirty-six percent (76) of UCLA's 210 goals have come from either newcomers or players who participated in five or fewer games in 2017. Freshman Lexi Liebowitz leads those players with 17. Sophomore Emily Skelly, meanwhile, has 14. Brooke Maxson (11), Louise Hazell (eight), Blacker (seven), Sarah Sheldon (seven), Roxy Wheaton (five), Myna Simmons (four), Haley Evans (two) and Allison Wieseler (one) round out that group. The seven sophomores on that list combined for just five goals in 2017.
THE WRIGHT WAY
Adam Wright, who has coached the UCLA men's water polo team to three NCAA Championships (2014, 2015, 2017), will now guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams, Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero announced July 20, 2017. Wright has an overall record of 227-37 (.860) and an MPSF mark of 51-12 (.810). From 2014-16, Wright's Bruins set an NCAA record with 57 consecutive victories and a conference record with 26 consecutive MPSF wins. Prior to becoming head coach of the men's program in 2009, he served as an assistant coach with the men's and women's teams during the 2008-09 school year, helping the women win an unprecedented fifth consecutive NCAA Championship in May 2009.
FAMILIAR FACES
Wright completed his staff on Aug. 31, 2017 with the hiring of Kodi Hill, who joined Dusty Litvak as an assistant coach. A 2017 graduate of UCLA, Hill was an instrumental member of a Bruin class that amassed a record of 105-17 over its four years in the pool. Litvak previously served under Wright in the same role for the men's team during 2013 and 2014 and worked in a volunteer capacity with the women's team each of the past two seasons.
