USC
Loyola Marymount
No. 2 USC Passes Up No. 10 LMU 14-9
April 02, 2009 | Women's Water Polo
April 2, 2009
WESTCHESTER, CALIF. - The No. 2 USC women's water polo team picked up the pace against host No. 10 LMU and passed up the Lions in the second half to take a 14-9 nonconference road win on Thursday afternoon. Rosanna Tomiuk registered a new career high with four goals in the game to lead the Women of Troy and help improve USC's overall record to 18-1 on the year.
The game see-sawed in the first half as USC's 2-0 start on goals from Kami Craig and Rosanna Tomiuk were followed by three straight by LMU's Nicole Hughes to put the Lions ahead 3-2 at the close of the first period. In the second, USC tied it up on a strike from Kristen Dronberger, only to see LMU work back ahead by two on 6-on-5 finishes. Tomiuk cut it to 5-4 on a crosscage lob, and then the Lions pulled ahead by two on another power play score. That sparked an offensive surge from the Trojans. USC ripped along on a five-goal run across the halftime break. Kally Lucas kicked it off with a nearside strike on a USC 6-on5 a minute away from halftime. Michelle Stein rifled in the equalizer with barely three seconds left in the half, putting the score at a 6-6- lock.
USC's scoring pace picked up with three more goals in the first four minutes of the third period. Joelle Bekhazi ripped in a skip shot from the top for USC's first lead since the first period, and Forel Davies added to it with a slider next. Bekhazi busted through again for the Trojans, and USC had a 9-6 lead. The streak was snapped by back-to-back LMU goals that brought it back to a one-goal game at 2:49 in the third. The Women of Troy would get defensive for the last stretch, however. Stein blasted two around a fourth goal from LMU's Hughes in the final minute of the third for an 11-9 USC lead entering the fourth. In the final frame, Dronberger earned a 6-on-5 that Tomiuk finished off to set a new career high for herself at USC. Bekhazi plugged in USC's next 6-on-5 opportunity with 5:37 remaining, and Tomiuk ballooned her tally to four with a score on a crosscage lob at 1:36 to finish out the game as a 14-9 USC victory.
USC now turns is focus to a bigtime MPSF match at crosstown rival UCLA. The Trojans pay a visit to the Bruins next Saturday (April 11) at 1 p.m. at Sunset Rec.
#2 USC 14, #10 Loyola Marymount 9
USC 2 - 4 - 5 - 3 = 14
LMU 3 - 3 - 3 - 0 = 9
SCORING:
USC - Rosanna Tomiuk 4, Joelle Bekhazi 3, Michelle Stein 3, Kami Craig, Kristen Dronberger, Kally Lucas, Forel Davies.
LMU - Nicole Hughes 4, Kimberly Benedetti 2, Anne Scott 2, Diana Romero.
SAVES: Tumua Anae (USC) 4, Ilse van der Meijden (USC) 4, Elise Ponce (LMU) 4.
