LA JOLLA, Calif. – The USC women’s water polo team battled crosstown rival UCLA Bruins women’s water polo in a tightly contested NCAA semifinal on Saturday evening.
The Trojans used a strong fourth quarter and key defensive stops down the stretch to secure an 11-10 win and advance to the NCAA Championship game.
#3 USC 11, #2 UCLA 10
USC came out sharp in the NCAA semifinal, with Ava Stryker winning the opening sprint and setting the tone early. The Trojans capitalized right away, as Emily Ausmus buried a 6-on-5 off Stryker’s assist to open the scoring. USC pushed ahead 2-0 behind a counter finish from Ausmus, but UCLA answered with a quick surge to even things at 3-3 late in the first. Maggie Johnson briefly gave USC the edge again, and a late 6-on-5 strike from Sinia Plotz sent the Trojans into the second up 4-3.
The second quarter stayed tight, with UCLA drawing level early before USC found another gear. Goals from Ava Knepper and Ausmus helped USC regain control, and the Trojans converted key power play chances down the stretch. Morgan Netherton added a 6-on-5 finish to cap a 3-0 USC run, giving the Trojans a 7-5 lead at the break behind strong defensive stops from Anna Reed in the cage.
Out of halftime, USC extended its lead to 8-6 on another finish from Johnson, but momentum flipped late in the third. UCLA chipped away with a penalty and back-to-back goals, closing the quarter on a 3-0 run to take its first lead of the game at 9-8.
USC answered immediately in the fourth. Johnson tied it at 9-9, and a quick counter from Alma Yaacobi put the Trojans back in front. After earning another exclusion, Stryker converted on the power play to stretch the lead to 11-9 with under five minutes to play. UCLA pulled within one, but USC locked in defensively down the stretch. Reed came up with multiple late saves, while Stryker and the Trojan defense forced key turnovers in the final minute to seal the 11-10 win.
Notables
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- Reed made ten saves for her fifth double-digit outing this season.
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- Ava Stryker matched her career high with five assists.
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- Alma Yaacobi stood strong on the defense with three steals. She added three drawn exclusions and a goal to the stat sheet.
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- The Trojans went 5-for-8 on powerplay and held the Bruins to 2-for-12 on their player advantage opportunities.
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- USC racked up 15 steals to UCLA’s five
Scoring: Emily Ausmus (3), Maggie Johnson (3), Sinia Plotz (1), Morgan Netherton (1), Ava Stryker (1), Alma Yaacobi (1), Ava Knepper (1)
Saves: Anna Reed (10)
Up Next
The Trojans will face the No. 4 seed California Bears in the NCAA Championship title game with the contest set for 6:00 p.m..
