Courtesy: USC Athletics
LOS ANGELES — The No. 3 USC women’s water polo team handed No. 2 California its first loss of the year with a well-balanced effort by the Trojans, who tallied the first three goal of the second and third quarters while shutting out the Golden Bears in the third on the way to a 13-7 victory today at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. It was the MPSF opener for both teams, and USC never trailed in this one behind hat tricks from three different Trojans. USC improves to 8-1 overall and goes to 1-0 in MPSF play, while Cal is now 11-1, 0-1.
The Trojans fended off the Bears in the first frame, as Cal pulled even three times before Grace Tehaney’s second goal of the game got USC a late 4-3 advantage. Carolyne Stern knocked down a Cal shot to close the first, and then USC got in a serious groove for the next stretch. The Trojans rattled off three straight goals to start off the second period, with a sneaky shot from Paige Hauschild marking her second of the day. Julia Janov was the provider of two picture-perfect passes into the post, where Mireia Guiral and then Bayley Weber went big for back-to-back blasts that carried USC ahead 7-3. Cal would get two goals to go around the first of the day from Tilly Kearns, and USC was up 8-5 at halftime.
USC was all business on both ends of the pool in those next eight minutes, silencing the Bears throughout the frame while punching up four goals as Hauschild, Kearns and Tehaney each reached hat tricks with their offensive efforts in that third period. Weber struck from distance to open up the fourth, ballooning the Trojan advantage to a daunting 13-5. Cal knocked in two in the next minute, but that would be as far as the Trojan defense would allow the Bears to go as USC wrapped up the 13-7 decision in home waters.
Next up for USC is a journey to Irvine for the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, Feb. 25-28. The Trojans open up group play on Friday (Feb. 25) with a 12:30 p.m. game against Loyola Marymount.
#3 USC 13, #2 California 7
Feb. 19, 2022 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
USC 4 – 4 – 4 – 1 = 13
CAL 3 – 2 – 0 – 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Paige Hauschild 3, Grace Tehaney 3, Tilly Kearns 3, Bayley Weber 2, Sabrina Garabet, Mireia Guiral.
CAL — Kitty Lynn Joustra 2, Mallory Reynoso, Cecily Turner, Shea Salvino, Ruby Swadling, Emma Wright.
SAVES: Carolyne Stern (USC) 5, Isabel Williams (CAL) 5.