Saturday, January 21
Santa Barbara, CA
9:30 AM
UCLA
21
vs
5
San Diego State
Ava Johnson (pictured) and Taylor Smith each scored four goals to lead the Bruins past the Aztecs.
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
No. 3 UCLA Goes Big in Win Over No. 21 San Diego State, 21-5
January 21, 2023 | Women's Water Polo
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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Graduate student Ava Johnson and freshman Taylor Smith each scored four goals to lead the No. 3 UCLA women's water polo team past 21st-ranked San Diego State, 21-5, in the first game of the UCSB Winter Invite on Saturday morning at UCSB's Campus Pool.
A total of 10 Bruins got into the scoring column with graduate student Katrina Drake netting her second straight hat trick to open the season. Freshman Sienna Green, sophomore Emma Lineback and junior Malia Allen each scored twice against the Aztecs.
Junior Sydney Chiang got the start in goal and played the first half, making four saves while allowing two goals. Redshirt senior Georgia Phillips played the second half in the cage, tallying six saves and one steal while surrendering three scores.
Unlike yesterday's win over Indiana, the Bruins jumped out to a hot start against SDSU, scoring nine goals in the opening period to take a 9-1 lead into the second quarter. Johnson scored back-to-back goals from two meters to put the Bruins up 2-1. Then UCLA reeled off seven more unanswered goals, which included two goals from Drake (power play and counter), another power play goal from Smith, junior Anneliese Miller, and graduate student Val Ayala, a strike from the front court from Allen, and a counter goal from Green,
Things cooled off in the second period with the Bruins edging the Aztecs 3-1 to take a 12-2 advantage into the break. Lineback scored her first of the game on a power play and Allen and Smith both scored their second of the game on counters to end the scoring in the first half.
UCLA won the third quarter 4-2 to build a 16-4 lead heading into the final stanza. Lineback opened the scoring with a strike from the front court, her second of the game. Smith completed her hat trick when she found the back of the net from the front court and then she converted on a penalty shot to notch her fourth of the game. Senior Fiona Kuesis ended the scoring in the third with a counter goal.
The Bruins won the fourth quarter, 5-1, to provide the 21-5 final. Drake opened the scoring in the final period, completing her hat trick with a power play goal. Sophomore Grace Myers scored her first goal of 2023 on a shot from the front court. Green then netted her second of the game on a front court strike. Johnson completed her hat trick with a counter goal and then added her fourth on a 7-on-6 play that the Bruins executed perfectly with Johnson scoring at the buzzer.
Katie Ratcliff led SDSU in scoring with two goals. UCSB did not provide goalie stats for SDSU.
The Bruins return to action later today when they take on No. 15 Wager at 3:45 p.m. at UCSB's Campus Pool.
GAME NOTES: The Bruins improved to 2-0 for the third straight year … this was the 46th meeting between UCLA and San Diego State with the Bruins leading the series 42-4… this marked the first meeting between the two teams in six years when UCLA defeated SDSU 22-5 at the Hawai'i Invitational in 2017 … the Bruins have combined for four hat tricks in the first two games of 2023 … UCLA has had 10 people score in each of the first two games of the season.
No. 21 San Diego State vs. No. 3 UCLA (UCSB Winter Invite)
Santa Barbara, Calif. (Campus Pool)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 21 SDSU | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 9 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 21 |
6x5 – UCLA: 6/12, SDSU: 2/5
Penalty Shots – UCLA: 1/1, SDSU: 0/0
SDSU Goals: Katie Ratcliff 2, Jessica Leckich 1, Klara Goldstein 1, Danni Croteau 1
SDSU Saves: n/a
UCLA Goals: Ava Johnson 4, Taylor Smith 4, Katrina Drake 3, Sienna Green 2, Malia Allen 2, Emma Lineback 2, Fiona Kuesis 1, Anneliese Miller 1, Val Ayala 1, Grace Myers 1
UCLA Saves: Georgia Phillips 6, Sydney Chiang 4
Players Mentioned
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
UTL
/ Women's Water Polo
CTR
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
/ Women's Water Polo
GK
/ Women's Water Polo
ATK
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