
No. 2 UCLA Captures Third at Barbara Kalbus Invitational
February 23, 2020 | Women's Water Polo
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IRVINE, Calif. -- No. 2 UCLA (17-2, 1-0 MPSF) used an impressive defensive effort to defeat No. 3 Hawai'i (11-2), 10-5, in the third-place game of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Sunday afternoon at the Anteater Aquatics Complex. The Bruins improved to 52-3 all-time against Hawai'i.
The Bruins were led in scoring by freshman Hannah Palmer (six points), who scored two goals and had four assists. In all, three Bruins scored two goals against the Rainbow Wahine as sophomore Ava Johnson and junior Myna Simmons joined Palmer with two goals. Redshirt freshman Georgia Phillips got the start in the cage for the Bruins, playing the entire game, tallying six saves while allowing five goals.
Hawai'i got on the board first when Alba Bonamusa Boix scored from the front court (7:15). Freshman Abbi Hill tied things up at 1-1 with a power play goal (6:53) off a feed from Palmer. Bonamusa Boix scored another goal (3:53) to put UH up 2-1. Senior Emily Skelly had an answer with a strike from the front court (0:59) with Palmer getting another assist. Carmen Baringo gave Hawai'i a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period (0:45) with a goal from the front court.
Palmer scored the first goal of the second period (5:47) from the front court off a feed from junior Lexi Liebowitz to tie it at 3-3. With the Bruins' defense pitching a shutout in the second period, the Bruins managed to take a 4-3 lead into the break with a goal from two meters by Johnson (0:37) off a feed from sophomore Val Ayala.
The Bruins' defense pitched another shutout in the third period with Liebowitz netting the only goal of the quarter (1:17) on a counter off a nice feed from Phillips to give UCLA a 5-3 advantage.
UCLA's offense finally got going in the fourth period. Palmer opened the scoring in the fourth for the Bruins with a power play goal (7:31) off an assist by Liebowitz to make it 6-3 UCLA. Simmons scored the fifth-straight goal for the Bruins (5:14) off a pass from Ayala to put UCLA up 7-3. After a goal by UH, Simmons scored her second of the game (2:47) and Ayala added her first (2:07) to push the lead to 9-4. Then Johnson netted her second of the game (1:18) off a nice feed from Palmer to make it 10-4. Emma van Rossum scored for Hawai'i (0:50) to cut the deficit to 10-5 and provide the final score of the game.
UCLA returns to action on Saturday, March 7 at 12:00 p.m. PT when they return to MPSF play at No. 7 California.
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 3 Hawai'i (Game 19 - Barbara Kalbus Invitational - Third-Place Game)
SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
No. 3 Hawai'i | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
No. 2 UCLA | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
6x5 - UCLA - 2/7 - UH - 2/7
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - UH - 0/0
UH Goals: Alba Bonamusa Boix 2, Emma van Rossum 1, Carmen Baringo 1, Lucia Gomez de la Puenta 1
UH Saves: Bridget Layburn 4
UCLA Goals: Hannah Palmer 2, Ava Johnson 2, Myna Simmons 2, Abbi Hill 1, Val Ayala 1, Emily Skelly 1, Lexi Liebowitz 1
UCLA Saves: Georgia Phillips 6