NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Freshman Natalie
Golda looks to pass in a game earlier this season.
UCLA 13 USC 6 UCLA 14 Hawaii 3
UCLA 18 LBSU 2
By Emily Whichard
Daily Bruin Contributor
Victory is becoming a habit for the women’s water polo
team.
In three home games this weekend, No. 2 UCLA (11-2, 6-0 MPSF)
dominated its MPSF conference challengers: No. 3 USC, No. 8
Hawai’i and No. 5 Long Beach. The wins continue the
Bruins’ winning streak at home begun last season to eight
games.
UCLA left nothing to chance on Friday against USC. Jenny Lamb
started things off right for the Bruins with an early score in the
first quarter.
“We were more aggressive offensively than in previous
games,” said UCLA Head Coach Adam Krikorian.
The domination continued throughout the first half. The Bruins
built up the score to 7-2 by halftime.
“We were on fire,” sophomore Jessica Lopez said.
“I think we surprised ourselves.”
By the fourth quarter, no one was surprised by the scoring
deficit.
The Bruins continued the onslaught into the final minutes.
Freshman Thalia Munro and sophomore Robin Beauregard found the back
of the net as the clock ran out to finish 13-6.
The scoring fire was alive and well for UCLA on Saturday. They
ended Hawai’i’s 10-game winning streak with a final
score of 14-3.
The Bruins scored early and often, putting the game out reach by
halftime with a score of 9-1.
The Bruins’ biggest challenge in Sunday’s game
against Long Beach State was themselves. With confidence levels
riding too high on the heels of a two-game run, the team’s
play was not impressive in the first half.
“Every game is an opportunity to increase our potential.
Today, they were just going through the motions,” Krikorian
said.
The Bruins came back with vigor in the second half, racking up a
final score of 18-2.
As the clock ran down, the score ran up. In the final two
minutes of the game, the Bruins scored four additional goals.
UCLA will face UC Santa Barbara in two weeks before facing No. 1
Stanford. Sunday’s matchup against Long Beach reminded the
team that every game is a chance to practice before the important
face-off against the Cardinal.
“We have to keep it up no matter who we play,” Lamb
said.