| Women’s Water Polo |
|---|
| SJSU — 5 |
| UCLA — 19 |
Is it too late to add a mercy rule in water polo?
This afternoon at the Spieker Aquatic Center proved exactly why the UCLA Bruins women’s water polo team (14-2, 3-1 MPSF) are ranked number two in the latest CWPA poll, scoring a total of 19 goals against the No. 18 San Jose State Spartans (6-12, 0-5 MPSF), who were only able to score a fraction of what the Bruins were able to accomplish.
The first half started with the Bruins winning possession of the ball, thanks to the sprint winner, junior attacker Elektra Urbatsch. Within the first minute, the redshirt senior attacker Emma Lineback scored the first point for the Bruins, with the Spartans following with their own goal shortly after.
With loud and open communication, junior goal keeper Joey Niz counted down the shot clock for the Bruins, helping her teammates tally up a few more goals. San Jose State was brutal, grabbing onto shoulders to defend their goal, but the Bruns were relentless in their attacks. With at least three hands up in the air by the Bruins’ defense, it was ultimately Niz who blocked the attempts from the Spartans.
The Bruins played man-to-man defense, successfully picking a Spartan and sticking to them, using their bodies to push them further away from the goal. This tactic proved to be successful, as the Spartans began to miss their shots, hitting the posts and shooting the ball too wide. Senior utility player Anna Pearson got her second goal for the Bruins, with an assist from senior defender Zöe Frangieh, taking the Bruins to their tenth goal.
The second half began as a repeat of the beginning of the first half, with senior attacker Taylor Smith taking first possession of the ball for the Bruins and handing the ball off to Urbatsch for a goal within the first 15 seconds. The Spartans turned up the pressure with their defense, pushing the Bruins back and forcing them to turn over the ball with a shot clock violation. Despite their attempts, the Bruins rallied together and scored eight more points in the second half, finishing the game 19-5. Pearson, Lineback and senior center Bia Mantellato lead the Bruins in goals scored, tying at three goals each.
Up next, the Bruins will be taking on No. 12 Fresno State Bulldogs at home in the Spieker Aquatics Center, on March 15 at 1 p.m. PST.
