UCLA
20-6
USC
29-4
No. 2 UCLA Falls to No. 3 USC, 15-13
May 10, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
INDIANAPOLIS โ No. 2 UCLA (20-6) saw its season come to an end in the NCAA Semifinals with a 15-11 loss to No. 3 USC (29-4) on Saturday afternoonย at IU Natatorium. The Bruins fell to 56-42 all-time in the series.
A total of seven Bruins scored against the Trojans with redshirt junior Emma Lineback scoring a game-high-tying fiveย goals. The five goals equaled her season- and career-high of five she had in the NCAA Quarterfinal win over LMU yesterday. She finished with 10 goals in the two NCAA Tournament games. Junior Bia Mantellato and senior Molly Renner were the only other Bruins to score multiple goals against the Trojans, each with two on the day.
Sophomore Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering nine saves while allowing 15 goals. She got one of them back in the fourth quarter, scoring for UCLA on a 7-on-6 play.
Both teams battled to a 4-4 draw at the end of the first period. But the Bruins looked to take control of the contest, leading 7-4 with 3:19 to go in the second period. But failed opportunities on back-to-back possessions (a power play and a penalty shot for UCLA) was quickly countered by scores from USC and the Trojans stole the momentum trailing just 7-6 at the break.ย
USC continued the run, scoring the first five goals of the third period to stretch the scoring streak to seven straight goals, turning a 7-4 deficit into an 11-7 lead with 3:30 to go. The Trojans held a 13-8 lead heading into the final stanza.
The Bruins won the fourth period, 5-2, to provide the 15-13 final, but couldn't get closer than the two-goal margin.
No. 3 USC vs. No. 2 UCLA (NCAA Semifinalsย - Game 26)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 3 USC | 4 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 15 |
| No. 2 UCLA | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
6x5 - UCLA - 7/17ย - USC - 8/11
Penalties - UCLA - 1/2 - USC - 1/1
USC Goals: Tilly Kearns 5, Rachel Gazzaniga 3,ย Ava Stryker 2, Sinia Plotz 1, Emily Ausmus 1, Morgan Netherton 1, Maggie Johnson 1, Meghan McAninch 1
USC Saves: Anna Reed 9
UCLA Goals:ย Emma Lineback 5, Bia Mantellato 2, Molly Renner 2, Lauren Steele 1, Carly McMurray 1, Anna Pearson 1, Tali Stryker 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 9
ย
Team Stats
Emma Lineback
07:22
Sinia Plotz
07:02
Tali Stryker
06:47
Emily Ausmus
04:55
Rachel Gazzaniga
02:37
Carly Mcmurray
02:19
Tilly Kearns
02:00
Emma Lineback
01:44
Emma Lineback
07:35
Emma Lineback
05:33
Molly Renner
03:19
Tilly Kearns
01:57
Tilly Kearns
00:28
Ava Stryker
07:32
Rachel Gazzaniga
05:31
Tilly Kearns
04:54
Tilly Kearns
03:54
Morgan Netherton
03:30
Emma Lineback
03:06
Rachel Gazzaniga
01:00
Maggie Johnson
00:08
Meghan Mcaninch
06:16
Bia Mantellato
05:39
Molly Renner
05:13
Bia Mantellato
04:39
Ava Stryker
04:16
Lauren Steele
01:16
Anna Pearson
00:01
