41 seconds stood between UCLA and a chance to force overtime against the nation’s top team.
The No.2 UCLA women’s water polo team went 2-1 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine, earning ranked wins over No.13 Fresno State and No.3 USC before falling 8-7 to No.1 Stanford in the championship match. The Bruins moved to 9-1 overall after the weekend at Anteater Aquatics Complex.
No.2 UCLA, No.13 Fresno State
| Women’s Water Polo |
|---|
| Fresno State — 10 |
| UCLA — 17 |
UCLA opened the tournament with a dominant second-half performance, outscoring Fresno State 10-4 after the break to secure a 17-10 win.
Senior utility Anna Pearson led the way with a game-high five goals, a season high for the Irvine native. Senior attacker Taylor Smith added four goals, including three on six-on-five opportunities, as UCLA finished 6-for-10 with the advantage.
After entering halftime with a narrow 7-6 lead, the Bruins took control in the third quarter, scoring six of the period’s seven goals. Pearson and Smith each scored twice in the frame, while senior center Bia Mantellato added another to spark the surge.
No.2 UCLA, No.3 USC
| Women’s Water Polo |
|---|
| USC — 9 |
| UCLA — 10 |
UCLA followed with a gritty 10-9 win over crosstown rival No.3 USC to punch its ticket to the championship match.
Mantellato delivered a standout performance, scoring a season-high six goals while also drawing five exclusions and adding two assists. Smith contributed two goals, and redshirt senior attacker Emma Lineback and sophomore attacker Tali Stryker each added one.
The Bruins trailed 3-1 at halftime but exploded for six third-quarter goals to swing momentum. Mantellato scored twice during a wild stretch in the third to keep UCLA even.
In the final quarter, Smith gave UCLA its first lead of the day with 5:55 remaining. Mantellato added two more down the stretch, including what proved to be the game-winner.
Junior goalie Lauren Steele anchored the defense with 14 saves, matching her season high, and made a decisive stop in the closing seconds to preserve the win.
No.1 Stanford, No.2 UCLA
| Women’s Water Polo |
|---|
| UCLA — 7 |
| Stanford — 8 |
In Sunday’s championship, UCLA nearly erased a four-goal deficit but fell just short in an 8-7 loss to top-ranked Stanford.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-0 lead and extended it to 5-1 in the second quarter before the Bruins responded. Goals from senior attacker Carly McMurray and Pearson cut into the deficit before halftime.
Mantellato and Lineback each scored twice to pace UCLA, while freshman attacker Katherine O’Dea also found the net. The Bruins pulled within one multiple times, including early in the fourth when Lineback opened the period with a goal to make it 8-7.
Steele was strong in the cage with 13 saves, eight of which came in the fourth quarter to keep UCLA within striking distance. The Bruins had a final possession after a timeout with 41 seconds left, but could not convert the equalizer.
The women’s water polo team will next travel to face No.4 California in their MPSF opener against Cal Berkeley on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. PST.
