UCLA women’s water polo isn’t used to losing – the Bruins lost only one conference game last season. Before last weekend, the team’s only loss since the NCAA championship came against the women’s national team.
Now, however, No. 2 UCLA (7-1) is regrouping after its loss to No. 1 USC in the final of last weekend’s Triton Invitational. The team’s first opportunity to bounce back comes Friday at UC Irvine (6-4), when the Bruins take on the Anteaters in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matchup.
UCLA allowed USC jump out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first quarter of last Sunday’s championship – a deficit the Bruins never recovered from in their 8-6 loss. With that slow start in mind, UCLA will look to limit Irvine early.
The Bruins easily accomplished this feat the last time they met the Anteaters, opening last season’s matchup 5-0 behind strong shooting from then-junior attacker Rachel Fattal. Fattal is currently taking an Olympic redshirt year, but UCLA has seen balanced contributions from senior center India Forster and junior utility Mackenzie Barr.
Forster and Barr anchor the Bruins’ offensive attack with 12 and 14 individual goals on the season, respectively. Irvine will struggle against the UCLA offensive onslaught – the Bruins have won their matches this season by an average goal differential of 6.5.
While UCLA has only had one close victory in 2016 – its 8-5 win over UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 23. Irvine, in contrast, is only winning games by an average of three goals and has suffered a number of big losses, most notably its 12-6 loss to then-No. 7 UC Davis in the Triton Invitational.
Playing the Anteaters on the road can be a challenge. The last time the Bruins made the trip to Irvine, UCLA escaped with a one-goal victory after scoring the game-winner with four seconds left to play. That said, the Bruins own the last 19 matchups with the Anteaters.
Compiled by Claire Fahy, Bruin Sports senior staff.
