USC Takes Second At MPSF Championships

Sunday, May 2

Westwood, Calif.

3:00 PM

USC

UCLA (Championship)

Patricia Jancso taliied four goals for the Trojans today at UCLA.

USC Takes Second At MPSF Championships

May 02, 2010 | Women's Water Polo

May 2, 2010

WESTWOOD, CALIF. -- In a rare display of slow-to-start offense, the USC women's water polo team came up short of tournament host UCLA today in the title match of the MPSF Championships. The Bruins took an early lead and stayed ahead of the Trojans the whole way en route to an 8-7 win that gives UCLA the automatic berth into the coming NCAA Tournament. USC goes to 22-3 overall with today's loss, but is a likely fit into the NCAA mix as an at-large team thanks to the Trojans' powerful overall record.

The Women of Troy entered the title match as the defending MPSF champions, but the Bruins rode momentum from their upset win over top-ranked Stanford in the semifinals the previous day and capitalized on USC's early misfires. The Trojans were unable to convert on their first three 6-on-5 opportunities, and UCLA responded with two low strikes to go up 3-0. Against a Bruin 6-on-5 next, USC goalie Tumua Anae made a booming save against a shot from 2-meters, but the Bruins were there for the rebound and putback to take UCLA ahead 3-0. USC broke its silence by slamming home a 6-on-5 chance on a rocket from Patricia Jancso to make it 3-1. Jancso would finish out the game with a career-high four goals, with Anae collecting 11 saves for the Trojans.

UCLA's 3-1 advantage would hold through the first couple minutes of the second period before the Women of Troy struck again on a 6-on-5 with a slick cross from Alexandra Kiss to Kally Lucas, who buried her shot to cut it to a one-goal game with UCLA lead 3-2. UCLA goalie Caitlin Dement put a stop to a USC counterattack strike later, and the Bruins went back and got a skip shot to go for a 4-2 boost. Two more USC 6-on-5 chances would go awry for the Trojans, and UCLA still held that 4-2 advantage at halftime.

In a departure from USC's typical third-period power, UCLA was able to move farther ahead with a counterattack goal and then later on another score off a rebound of a great Anae save, as the Bruins took a 6-2 lead with three minutes to go in the third period. Jancso wrapped a pair of big blasts around a UCLA 6-on-5 score to pull the score to 7-4 UCLA as the teams entered the final period of regulation.

In the fourth, Forel Davies won her fourth straight sprint, and USC crept closer with a smart lob that made it 7-5 with 6:50 on the clock. UCLA pushed it back to a three-goal lead with 4:10 remaining when the Bruins converted on a 6-on-5 to make it 8-5. WIth time running down on the Trojans, Kami Craig earned a 5-meter penalty shot for USC, and Jancso put it away with authority to bring USC within two, down 8-6. Davies stuffed a UCLA 6-on-5 try next, although UCLA's Dement stopped the Trojans' next shot attempt with 1:30 to go. USC earned one last 6-on-5 chance in the final minute, with Kiss delivering a pass to Craig for an impressive blast from 2-meters out to cut the UCLA lead to 8-7 with 49 seconds left. UCLA could do nothing on its next possession, but the Trojans ran out of time for a good look at an equalizer to lead USC short in the title match.

USC now awaits the seeding announcement for the NCAA Championships. The NCAA selection show will take place on Monday (May 3) at 3 p.m., available for live viewing online at ncaa.com.

2010 MPSF CHAMPIONSHIPS (Westwood, Calif.)
Championship Game - May 2
#5 UCLA 8, #2 USC 7
USC 1 - 1 - 2 - 3 = 7
UCLA 3 - 1 - 3 - 1 - 8

SCORING:
USC -- Patricia Jancso 4, Kally Lucas, Alexandra Kiss, Kami Craig.
UCLA -- Grace Reynolds 2, KK Clark 2, Emily Greenwood, Kelsey McGinley, Kelly Easterday, Priscilla Orozco.

SAVES: Tumua Anae (USC) 11, Caitlin Dement (UCLA) 10.

2010 MPSF ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTIONSNo. Student-Athlete Year Position School1 Caitlin Dement (MVP) Sophomore Goalkeeper UCLA6 Priscilla Orozco Junior Attacker UCLA10 Grace Reynolds Junior Center UCLA2 Kami Craig Senior 2-Meter USC12 Patricia Jancso Freshman 2-Meter Def. USC17 Jessica Steffens Senior 2-Meter Stanford11 Camille Hewko Senior 2-Meter California5 Monika Eggens Sophomore Attacker Hawaii