Stanford 9 UCLA 4
By Colin Yuhl
Daily Bruin Contributor
At the Stanford Invitational tournament held over the weekend,
the UCLA women’s water polo team knew a showdown between the
top two teams was inevitable. And after three victories over ranked
opponents, the No. 1 Bruins faced off against arch rival No. 2
Stanford, and lost a tough battle 9-4.
“We really wanted to prove that last year’s
(championship win over Stanford) wasn’t a fluke, but the ball
didn’t bounce our way” center-defender Robin Beauregard
said.
After routing UC Irvine in their season opener, the UCLA
women’s water polo team was looking forward to facing their
first real test of the season.
In their first game the Bruins (4-1) easily defeated No. 20
Massachusetts 14-2 behind three goals by Jessica Lopez. Seven other
players scored at least one goal, with Kelly Heuchan, Mari Joyce,
and Thalia Munroe each scoring two. Goalkeeper Jamie Hipp had eight
saves in the blowout.
No. 4 Cal, however, proved to be much stiffer competition, as
UCLA barely edged out the Golden Bears 5-4. Up 4-1 early, the Bears
toughened up, clawing their way back into the game.
“The game became a lot more physical, and we didn’t
respond well to the officiating … still, our defense held up,
that was the key,” Bruin head coach Adam Krikorian said.
Heuchan, a senior, was instrumental in pulling out a close game,
scoring three goals and notching three steals, along with providing
crucial senior leadership.
“She’s been our most consistent player all year,
especially when things got physical,” Krikorian said.
In their third game, against No. 6 San Jose State, the Bruins
played like defending champions in an 11-3 victory. Natalie Golda
had three goals to lead another balanced UCLA attack. Three other
players had two goals and Hipp had thirteen saves.
“Our goalie (Hipp) played awesome. She really set the tone
for that game,” Krikorian said.
That victory set the stage for the heavyweight bout between
Stanford and UCLA. The Cardinal struck fast, hard and early, as
they enjoyed a 3-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.
“They came out much more aggressive than we were,”
Krikorian said. “We dug ourselves a hole and against a team
like Stanford, it’s tough to come back.”
To make matters worse, the Cardinal capitalized on their power
plays, converting five of six opportunities. UCLA, in contrast,
succeeded on only one of four chances.
“We weren’t aggressive enough on offense,”
Beauregard said. “When we got down 3-0 we got psyched out
offensively, and became a lot more tentative.”
Despite the fact that Stanford was playing in front of their
home crowd, Krikorian didn’t feel that there was a home pool
advantage.
“We just didn’t match their intensity. We will next
time,” he said.
The team may not have to wait long for their next opportunity,
assuming both teams make the final of the UC Santa Barbara
Tournament, held Feb. 23-24.