USC
UC Irvine
No. 1 USC Overpowers UC Irvine 13-6
February 14, 2009 | Women's Water Polo
Feb. 14, 2009
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - The top-ranked USC women's water polo team rolled out to win number six of the year, holding strong to its undefeated start to the season with a 13-6 home win over No. 12 UC Irvine. For the fifth time this year, senior Michelle Stein led the way in scoring, plugging in five goals for USC while goalie Ilse van der Meijden racked up 15 saves in the win. USC improves to 6-0 with the win, and UC Irvine moves to 6-2.
The game-changing move from the Trojans came in the second period of play, where USC roared out of a 2-2 lockup in the first period with four straight goals to take over the lead for good. Joelle Bekhazi started the run with a 6-on-5 strike to open the second frame for a 3-2 lead. Kami Craig served up a field block to stymie a UC Irvine power play next, and went on to earn a 5-meter penalty shot on the other end. Stein put away the score at 6:23 for a 4-2 lead, and a minute later Bekhazi had her second with a slick strike from outside. Sarah Van Norman earned another 6-on-5 for the Women of Troy next, and Stein slammed a double bar-in score to take USC ahead 6-2 with 4:05 on the clock. The Anteaters were able to stop the run with a 5-meter penalty shot of their own, only to see USC rip in two more scores before halftime. Nadia Dan finished off another USC 6-on-5 earned by Van Norman, and then Kristen Dronberger made a turn from the outside, walked in and scored crosscage to make it 8-3 for USC at the half.
UC Irvine got two goals to go in the third period, wrapping scored around another Craig-earned 5-meter penalty shot that Stein plugged in at 4:45. After UC Irvine made it 9-5 with a 6-on-5 score, Bekhazi delivered her third of the day, and Stein would rocket in her fifth just before the close of the frame to give USC an 11-5 lead going into the fourth. In the final period, the Anteaters struck early, but USC again had the answer with a skip from Dan and a bar-in blast from Stephanie Lavayen. In the cage, van der Meijden reigned supreme with five more saves including a stop against an Anteater 5-meter penalty attempt to finish off a 15-save outing by the freshman goalie.
USC now turns to host No. 13 Cal State Northridge in another 12 p.m. game at McDonald's Swim Stadium tomorrow (Feb. 15).
#1 USC 13, #12 UC Irvine 6
UCI 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 = 6
USC 2 - 6 - 3 - 2 = 13
SCORING:
USC - Michelle Stein 5, Joelle Bekhazi 3, Nadia Dan 2, Rosanna Tomiuk, Kristen Dronberger, Stephanie Lavayen.
UCI - Kat Plummer 2, Trudy Chancellor 2, Cortney Collyer, Julia Fancher.
SAVES: Ilse van der Meijden (USC) 15, Morgan Vickers (UCI) 2, Lauren Davis (UCI) 4.
