USC
Stanford
No. 2 USC Pushes Past Cal And Stanford
February 09, 2008 | Women's Water Polo
Feb. 9, 2008
PALO ALTO, CALIF. - The No. 2 USC women's water polo team battled through a tough first day at the Stanford Invitational, toppling No. 5 Cal and No. 3 host Stanford to stand one game away from the tournament title match. The Trojans opened the day with a 9-3 win over the Bears before edging out the Cardinal in a 5-4 afternoon win. USC (4-0) will finish off its bracket play against No. 11 Arizona State at 8 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 10), but regardless of the outcome the Trojans will play for the tournament championship at 4:40 p.m. at Stanford's Avery Aquatic Center. USC is lined up to face UCLA in the title match.
Solid first halves on both ends of the pool were the keys in both wins for the Women of Troy. Against both Cal and Stanford, the USC defense allowed only a single goal in the first half of play while the Trojans offense pushed out to good leads. In USC's morning matchup with the Bears, the Trojans took a 4-1 lead in the first period, then shut out Cal in the second while tallying two more strikes for a 6-1 halftime lead. The Women of Troy continued to stay a step ahead of the Bears down the stretch on the way to a 9-3 win that was anchored by 10 saves from USC goalie Tumua Anae.
In the next game, goalie Whitney Morgan tacked up eight saves for the Trojans. Neither team would score in the first period of play, but USC heated up in the second frame for a 3-1 lead at the half. Another shutout effort by the USC defense lifted the Trojans ahead 4-1 entering the final period. In the fourth period, Stanford managed an early goal but Michelle Stein lifted USC ahead 5-2 next. The Cardinal scored again to make it 5-3, then was able to score late on a counterattack for a 5-4 score with just 30 seconds remaining as USC held on for the win.
USC senior Veronika Bartunkova knocked in multiple-goal games in both matches, tallying a hat trick against Cal and then two goals against Stanford. Miranda Nichols also registered three goals against the Bears, with USC's other three goals in the 9-3 win coming from Jordan Anae, Alexandra Kiss and Michelle Stein. Against the Cardinal, USC's all-important scoring came from four players, as Bartunkova's pair was added to by a goal apiece from Anae, Stein and Kally Lucas.
STANFORD INVITATIONAL
Day One - Feb. 9
Avery Aquatic Center
GAME ONE:
#2 USC 9, #5 Cal 3
Cal 1 - 0 - 1 - 1 = 3
USC 4 - 2 - 1 - 2 = 9
SCORING:
USC - Veronika Bartunkova 3, Miranda Nichols 3, Jordan Anae, Alexandra Kiss, Michelle Stein.
CAL - Corso, Lorenz, Reynolds
SAVES: Tumua Anae (USC) 10, Heather Stuart (CAL) 5.
GAME TWO:
#2 USC 5, #3 Stanford 4
USC 0 - 3 - 1 - 1 = 5
STAN 0 - 1 - 0 - 3 = 4
SCORING:
USC - Veronika Bartunkova 2, Jordan Anae, Kally Lucas, Michelle Stein.
STAN - Eaton 2, Silver, West
SAVES: Whitney Morgan (USC) 8, Oland (STAN) 9.
