USC
UCLA (NCAA Championship)
USC Women Fall Short of NCAA Championship
May 14, 2006 | Women's Water Polo
May 14, 2006
DAVIS, CALIF. - The top-ranked USC women's water polo team was just seconds away from forcing an overtime decision in the 2006 NCAA Championship game, but the Trojans had their comeback hopes dashed by a late 6-on-5 goal by the Bruins for a 9-8 loss in the national championship match. The frustrating loss finishes USC's season with a 27-3 record, while UCLA earns its second straight NCAA title with a 29-4 record. Two of those losses came to the Bruins, evening the season series between the teams at 2-2 for 2006. USC seniors Moriah Van Norman and Lauren Wenger were named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, and juniors Erika Figge and Brittany Hayes were Second Team selections.
Patty Cardenas led the Women of Troy in scoring with three goals in the game, including tow 6-on-5 strikes in the second half. Those were the Trojans only goals of the half, however, as USC's 6-5 halftime lead was overtaken by the Bruins. Down 8-7 in the fourth, Cardenas whipped in the tying goal with 30 seconds left to play, but the Bruins were granted a 6-on-5 advantage with just four seconds remaining, and Courtney Mathewson scored the game-winner with just one second left to give UCLA the NCAA crown.
The crossbar was a tough opponent on both ends to open the game, as Moriah Van Norman's first 6-on-5 strike glanced off the right side of the cage, and then UCLA's Kelly Rulon blasted a 4-meter try off the bar. She was able to reel in her own rebound, however, and punched in the putback for a 1-0 UCLA lead. USC leveled it on a long-range strike from Lauren Wenger, but Rulon got inside water on the Bruins' next trip down and went nearside on Whitney Morgan for a 2-1 UCLA lead with 3:51 left in the first. Rulon then struck again for her third goal of the game with a lob with 46 seconds left to get UCLA up 3-1. USC earned its fourth 6-on-5 advantage of the period soon after and finished it off this time when Brittany Hayes found Van Norman at two meters for the quick strike and a 3-2 score going into the second period.
Erika Figge got the Trojans started by winning the opening sprint and then drilled a blazing crosscage score from the top left to pull the teams even at 3-3 at the 6:31 mark. USC's defense clamped down on the Bruins on their ensuing possession, and held UCLA at bay until finally earning another 6-on-5 chance with three minutes left in the half. Hayes passed in to Van Norman, who found Wenger at two meters. Wenger was fouled hard, earning a 4-meter strike that Patty Cardenas drilled to give USC its first lead of the game at 4-3. UCLA was next to get a 6-on-5 try, and Molly Cahill scored nearside as the teams pulled even for a 4-4 tie. USC went up again on the 6-on-5 and got a pass-fake and score from Hayes to put USC on top again 5-4, but the Bruins worked out a 6-on-5 score to answer back and make it 5-5 at 1:30. USC crashed two meters to get the ball back with 16 seconds left, and then Miranda Nichols' counterattack strike went off the bar and into Trojan hands. With just second remaining in the half, Wenger got the ball to Hayes, who laced in the go-ahead goal for the Women of Troy just before the buzzer.
Up 6-5 to start the second half, USC missed its first 6-on-5 chance, but UCLA finished off its opportunity with a slider from Jillian Kraus to tie it 6-6 at 4:40. Wenger's second ejection of the game gave the Bruins another 6-on-5 advantage at 4:19, and then Pardo was excluded as well to get UCLA up on a 6-on-4 situation. A USC field block shut down their first shot try, and with the teams even, Figge threw up another field block. UCLA pulled in the rebound, but their next shot went wide. USC missed another 6-on-5 chance, but UCLA earned another one and went ahead 7-6 on a score from Domanic. Again, the double whistle piped in for another 6-on-5 chance - this one in USC's favor - marking the seventh exclusion of the third period. The Trojans took a timeout to reorganize for the opportunity at 1:35, and Figge dished up a pass to Cardenas, who powered in the tying score at 1:23. After a clutch save from Morgan, UCLA got the ball back, and Rulon sliced in her fourth of the game to put UCLA up 8-7. Morgan again clamped down on a dangerous one-on-one counterattack chance against Domanic to keep UCLA out of the back of the net again, and UCLA's 8-7 lead stood until the start of the fourth period.
Figge pulled out her fourth winning sprint to open the fourth, but a USC offensive soon after turned the ball back into Bruin hands. The Trojan defense crashed at set for a takeaway, and then Kami Craig lured Kraus into her third exclusion of the game for USC's 12th 6-on-5 opportunity of the game. Figge's bullet was field blocked out of bounds, and then UCLA goalie Emily Feher saved Van Norman's backhand shot. Van Norman was dealt her third exclusion of the game on a double kickout with UCLA's Thalia Munro, forcing the USC senior to finish out the game on the sidelines. The Trojans got up on another 6-on-5 only to get hit with another kickout of their own to turn the ball back over. With UCLA on the attack and with a player advantage, the Bruins went wide of the cage and USC had a 6-on-5 at the other end soon after. Hayes' shot was just off the mark and careened off the left crossbar. Defensive stops at both ends held things scoreless for the next few minutes, but a UCLA offensive foul got USC on the attack with 55 seconds left in regulation. With time draining, Craig earned the Women of Troy a 6-on-5 chance, and the Trojans worked the ball around to Cardenas, who took a pass from Wenger and deposited the tying goal into the back of the net with 30 seconds left. UCLA had the last possession of regulation and called a timeout with 16 seconds to go. With only a few ticks left, Hayes was called on an ejection for one more UCLA 6-on-5 chance, and Courtney Mathewson scored the game-winner with just one second left to get the Bruins on top. Cardenas rifled one last shot attempt at the buzzer, but it went off the crossbar to leave UCLA with the 9-8 NCAA championship victory.
UCLA 3 - 2 - 3 - 1 --- 9
USC 2 - 4 - 1 - 1 --- 8
SCORING:
USC - Patty Cardenas 3, Brittany Hayes 2, Lauren Wenger, Moriah Van Norman, Erika Figge.
UCLA - Kelly Rulon 4, Gabbie Domanic 2, Molly Cahill, Jillian Kraus, Courtney Mathewson.
SAVES: Whitney Morgan (USC) 6, Emily Feher (UCLA) 4.
6-on-5 ADVANTAGES:
USC - 2 of 16, 1 for 1 penalty shots UCLA - 4 of 10, 0 for 1 penalty shots
