USC, Stanford Headline Ten Teams Going to 2018 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament

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Michigan players celebrating their 2nd-straight CWPA title. Photo Courtesy: CWPA

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor

With the selection last night of three at-large teams, the field is now set for the 2018 NCAA Women’s Water Polo Tournament. Defending champion Stanford, Cal and UCLA were selected to join fellow Pac12 member USC, which on Sunday won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) title.

Also qualifying for NCAAs on Sunday were: Michigan, which won the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) title, Pacific, representing the Golden Coast Conference (GCC); Pomona-Pitzer, champions of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC); UC Irvine, a surprise winner over Hawai’i for the Big West title; UC San Diego, winner of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) crown for the sixth straight year; and Wagner, a five-time winner of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

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Uytengsu Aquatics Center Photo Courtesy: Cathryn Haynes

If this line-up of teams seems eerily familiar, that’s because it is exactly the same as LAST year’s group. It should come as no surprise that #1 USC, #2 Stanford, #3 Cal and #4 UCLA were awarded the top four seeds in the race to crown a national champion, which will begin May 8 with play-in matches between Wagner and UC San Diego as well as UC Irvine against Pomona Pitzer at USC’s Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals will take place at Uytengsu from May 11, 12 and 13, with the tournament action being streamed live on NCAA.com.

USC 13, Stanford 12 OT

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On Sunday in an MPSF title match for the ages, the Trojans (23-1) and Cardinal (18-3) battle through four regular period and two overtime frames, with USC’s Hayley McKelvey and MPSF 2018 Newcomer of the Year Paige Hauschild providing a two-goal advantage in the first overtime period, blunting a late goal by Makenzie Fischer, one of five on the day, to lead the Trojan’s to an epic win, their fifth MPSF title and first since 2016. McKelvey and Maud Megens both chipped in four goals each, while Amanda Longan, 2018 MPSF Player of the Year, had 11 saves for USC.

For the Cardinal, Aria Fischer and Katie Dudley had two goals each, while goalie Julie Hermann stopped 11 Trojan shots.

Cal (19-5) beat UCLA 8-3 in the MPSF third place game, securing the #3 seed in the NCAA tournament, its fourth NCAA Championships appearance in the past five years, and sixth overall. With the win, the Bears get a match-up on Friday, May 11 against Michigan, the CWPA winner. UCLA (22-7), seeded fourth, will face Pacific, also on Friday.

UC Irvine 8, Hawai’i 7 OT

big-west-logo-apr-17In the biggest upset from Sunday’s seven title contest, the Anteaters of UC Irvine (14-13) came up big against the Rainbow Wahine. In another see-saw affair, host UC Irvine got a golden goal from Cara Borkovec with 17 seconds remaining in the first sudden death overtime period to stun Hawai’i, the Big West regular season champions.

Tara Prentice and Allie Loomis contributed two goals apiece, but perhaps the most critical factor was a tenacious Anteater defense which limited Irene Gonzalez, Hawai’i’s leading scorer, to a lone goal on seven shots. Molly DiLalla, a surprise choice in cage for the Rainbow Wahine, came up big with 17 saves.

UC Irvine, in the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, has drawn Pomona-Pitzer in one of two play-in games.

Michigan 11, Princeton 8

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Playing suffocating defense over the match’s final six minutes, the Wolverines (32-8) held off a streaking Tiger team, awarding Head Coach Marcelo Leonardi a second-straight CWPA title, his third in four seasons.

“It was a culmination of all the adversity we had faced throughout the program, but we peaked at the right time,” Leonardi said immediately following the match. “We overcame that run that that they had, we slowed them down and finished them off.”

Breaking out to an 6-2 lead in the first quarter, and then 8-3 at the half Michigan looked to be in cruise control for another NCAA bid. But, as they have all season, Princeton rallied, with four third-period goals to cut the Wolverines’ lead to 9-7. Early in the fourth period, the Tiger’s Chelsea Johnson just missed on a tip in front of the Michigan cage, which would have made it a one goal game. Michigan than iced the game on Kim Johnson’s fourth goal of the match and—save for a Haley Wan penalty shot at the six minute mark, Princeton would not score again. Wan also had four goals, while Eliza Britt contributed two scores. Caroline Anderson and Brittany Prentice chipped in two goals apiece for the Wolverines.

Despite the loss—ending a nine game winning streak, all versus CWPA opponents—Princeton coach Becca Dorst had an impressive debut as Tiger coach, who gave all the credit for her team’s impressive season to her players.

“As much as it may seem it’s my team, they are 100% Princeton’s team and they have from the very beginning of the season,” Dorst said after the match. “Their success, and everything that comes with the hard work they put in, is because they’re playing for each other.”

Pacific 10, Loyola-Marymount 6

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Behind 2018 GCC Player of the Year Kyra Christmas, who registered two goals and three assists, Pacific (18-7) punched its ticket for a return to NCAAs with a 10-6 win over LMU. Rachel Krieger had three goals, while Mariana Duarte and Karolina Hlavata contributed two apiece. Tigers’ goalie Alexis Hollinrake racked up 12 saves as her team broke out to a 5-2 lead at halftime and was never headed in winning a second-straight GCC title.

In the loss, LMU’s Hana Vilanova notched two goals, with Abbey Grosse, Kiana Harpstrite, Daniela Hernandez and Katie Hungerford each contributing a single score.

Wagner 10, Marist 7

maac-logo-apr-17The Seahawks broke out to 5-0 lead in the first half, then held off a furious rally by the host Red Foxes, and Wagner won its fifth-straight MAAC title, and 44 conference win in a row. Jacqui Sjogren contributed four goals, while 2018 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year Kimberly Watson chipped in with three.

Diana Carballo had three goals and Katherine Tijerina has two for Marist, which has now lost to Wagner in the title game for the fifth consecutive year and sixth overall.

The markers of dominance for the Seahawks (24-6) are undeniable; they have gone undefeated in conference play for the past three seasons and have not lost a MAAC match since April 12, 2015, when they dropped an 11-9 decision to the Red Foxes.

Pomona-Pitzer 8, Cal Lutheran 2

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In yet another blow-out final, Pomona-Pitzer (22-10) cruised to a second straight SCIAC title with a dominating win over the Regals. A two-goal lead at half-time ballooned to six as the Sagehens racked up five second-half scores, led by balanced scoring from Kyla Pickell (two goals), and single scores from Jocelyn Castro, Kahea and Nohea Kahaulelio, Janelle Lewis, Morgan McCracken and Anna Yu.

The Regals, who were in the SCIAC title game for the first time since 2009, were led by Mackenzie Thomas and Victoria Meek.

The win gives Pomona-Pitzer Head Coach Alex Rodriguez four NCAA berths from 2016-18; two with his men’s team and now two with his women.

UC San Diego 12, Cal State East Bay 2

wwpa-logo-apr-17For the sixth straight year, UC San Diego (24-11) came out on top in the WWPA, and it appears like the rest of the conference is trailing even further behind the Tritons. Taylor Onstott scored three times, while Kayla Fedler, Ciara Franke and Krista Schneider contributed two scores apiece as the host Tritons broke out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, saw their lead cut to one early in the second period, and then scored nine straight to put away an overmatched Pioneer squad.

Ivanna Anderson and Brittany Smith notched single goals and Makenna Nation had eight saves for CSU East Bay in its four trip to the WWPA final in the past five years, all losses to UC San Diego.

 

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Pro Women Fitness
5 years ago

Epic.

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