Saturday, March 17
Honolulu, HI
9:00 PM
USC
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Hawai'i
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Photo by: Hali Helfgott
No. 3 USC Spends Spring Break In Honolulu With Saturday Clash At Hawai'i
March 14, 2018 | Women's Water Polo, Features
Trojans look to add another win over the No. 5 Rainbow Wahine.
THIS WEEK
USC is hunkered down in Honolulu this week, training away from the mainland over Spring Break before capping off the visit with a game against the Rainbow Wahine. The No. 3 Trojans (12-1) will face off against host Hawai'i (16-3) at 6 p.m. HT on Saturday (March 17) at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
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USC IN THE RANKINGS
USC kicked off 2018 ranked No. 2 in the national preseason poll and tied for third in the MPSF preseason poll. USC has bounced between No. 2 and No. 3 in recent weeks, and is currently ranked No. 3 the nation in the latest national poll (released March 14).
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SCOUTING HAWAI'I
The No. 5 Rainbow Wahine are 16-3 overall after following up a 12-7 loss at USC with a winning run at the Aztec Invitational, where Hawai'i beat Sonoma State 15-1, Harvard 10-5, UC San Diego 11-6 and San Diego State 15-5 last weekend. Irene Gonzalez is Hawaii's top scorer with 45 goals to date, while goalie Ymane Hage is averaging 8.0 saves and 6.75 goals-against per game. USC is 44-3 all-time against the Wahine after getting three wins last season. Last year, USC beat Hawai'i 13-8 in Santa Barbara, 12-5 in Irvine and 9-8 in Honolulu. USC has won the past 22 meetings against the Wahine after last week's 12-7 USC victory in Los Angeles.
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LAST WEEK
USC hosted its first official games of the season last week and made a strong stand in home waters in posting a 13-7 win over No. 7 UC Irvine and a 12-7 win over No. 5 Hawai'i. In her first game back from injury, Maud Megens ripped in the opening goal on USC's first possession before the Anteaters made a stand and worked out to a 3-2 lead midway through the first frame. Wakeup call heeded, the Trojans regrouped and rattled off three straight goals to end the first, as freshman Verica Bakoc and senior Hayley McKelvey went back-to-back to take back the lead before Kelsey McIntosh earned a 5-meter penalty shot that Megens converted to craft a 5-3 USC lead. USC would keep coming in the second thanks again to Megens, who rifled in the opener again, then finished off a pass from Brianna Daboub to carry USC along on a five-goal rally to lead it 7-3. UC Irvine broke its silence with a power play strike, only to see McKelvey deliver her second goal of the half before Paige Hauschild set up Denise Mammolito for a skipper that sent USC to a 9-4 advantage that held through to halftime. To kick off the second half, McIntosh converted on a USC 6-on-5 to build a 10-4 USC lead, only to have UC Irvine knock in three straight goals to carve down the margin to 10-7 entering the fourth. USC took back control from there, however, with Hauschild delivering a rocket off a cross from Annika Jensen before Mammolito zipped in her second. Freshman Nina Ceklic would have the last word of the night for the Trojans, turning and firing to make it 13-7 with 3:39 to go. The Trojan defense would do the rest, with goalie Victória Chamorro ending her two periods of work with seven saves to add to the six saves collected by Amanda Longan in the first half. It was a tight start the very next evening as the Rainbow Wahine had an answer for USC's opening goals from Daboub and Bakoc to keep it at 2-2 after eight minutes of action. The Trojan defense would clamp down in the next stretch, silencing Hawai'i with a power play save from goalie Amanda Longan to start the frame and then continuing to interrupt their visitors with steals while Mammolito and Hauschild each plugged in Trojan goals at the other end. Up 4-2 at halftime, USC saw Hawai'i close the gap to one with a 5-meter penalty shot. The Trojans were unfazed, however, and Hauschild found Jensen for a nearside strike that built back USC's advantage to 5-3. Another clutch save from Longan was followed by a Jensen assist to Mammolito for blast that made it 6-3. Hawai'i would get one back, but Daboub got USC up on a 6-on-5 soon after, and McKelvey rifled in the score to get USC ahead 7-4 in the final moments of the third. USC stayed the course in the fourth as Hauschild scored three more goals to go along with a skipper from McIntosh and a buzzer-beater from Elise Stein to close out a final 12-7 win for the Trojans. Hauschild would be named MPSF Newcomer of the Week for the third time after her standout efforts in USC's two home wins.
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FIVE-TIME TRITON TITLISTS
USC claimed its fifth straight championship at the Triton Invitational by capping off the event with a 6-4 win over rival UCLA in the title match. The Trojans never once trailed during the tournament, opening with a 13-1 win over Sonoma State and a 14-2 win over San Diego State in group play. In the semifinals, USC played a tighter match against UC Irvine, pulling away for a 7-5 win that sent the Trojans to the title match. During that semifinal win, senior captain Brianna Daboub notched her 100th career goal. Up against UCLA in the final, Paige Hauschild opened the scoring for the Trojans on a 6-on-5 finish. UCLA equalized, but junior goalie Amanda Longan made the stop on the Bruins' next try and then Daboub delivered for a 2-1 USC lead. That would do it for the first frame, but USC struck first again in the second. Kelsey McIntosh took the Trojans to a 3-1 lead before Longan roared to back-to-back blocks and then slammed away a UCLA 5-meter penalty try for a huge boost to the Trojan cause. UCLA moved it to a 3-2 margin by the end of the half, then equalized early in the third, only to see Daboub earn a 5-meter penalty that Denise Mammolito hammered home for a 4-3 USC advantage. In the fourth, Daboub zipped in her second of the game to go up 5-3. Next, Hauschild took a feed from Hayley McKelvey to pad out USC's lead to 6-3. The USC defense would shut down the next few UCLA offensive series, although the Bruins would convert with 3:05 to go, making it 6-4. The stalwart Trojan defense did the rest, as USC closed out the game as a 6-4 win that locked up the Trojans' fifth straight Triton Invitational crown. USC's staunch defense was anchored by goalies Victória Chamorro and Amanda Longan. Chamorro had 14 saves vs. Sonoma State and 13 in tehwin over UC Irvine, while Longan made 12 vs. SDSU before adding her 11 vs. the Bruins. Amanda Longan would lock up her first career selection as MPSF Player of the Week for her efforts, while Paige Hauschild claimed her second MPSF Newcomer of the Week award after emerging as USC's top scorer with 12 goals at the Triton Invitational.
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SEASON OPENER
USC stormed out of the gates of the 2018 season in churning out an 18-0 shutout of No. 22 LMU in the first official action of the season at the UCLA Mini Invite. Behind seven saves from junior goalie Amanda Longan, the USC defense turned away 10 Lion power play opportunities to help lock up the shutout win and make it a 1-0 start to the year. Senior Hayley McKelvey drummed up four goals in the first period of play — all 6-on-5 finishes — to set the tone for the Trojan offensive onslaught. Freshman Paige Hauschild should tally her first goal as a Trojan during the first frame, while Kelsey McIntosh delivered her first of two goals on the day and Maud Megens started off on her path to an eventual game-high five goals for the Trojan cause. Up 7-0 after eight minutes of action, USC received two goals from senior captain Brianna Daboub, two more from Megens and the first career goal as a Trojan for freshman Verica Bakoc to lead it 12-0 by halftime. By the final buzzer, sophomore Denise Mammolito had joined the scoresheet, while Hauschild completed her debut hat trick and Megens round out her five-goal outing. After the impressive showing, Megens was named the MPSF Player of the Week, and Hauschild was selected MPSF Newcomer of the Week.Â
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CLIMB ON
As the  2018 season rolls on, two seniors are making moves on the USC career scoring ladder. On Feb. 11, Brianna Daboub broke into the century club, scoring her 100th career goal. Since then, she's upped her career count to 105. Fellow senior Hayley McKelvey is also on the climb, holding 90 career goals to her name with an eye on hitting that century mark at Troy. On the defensive end, two USC goalies are on the rise on the all-time saves ladder. Junior Amanda Longan jumped into the No. 4 all-time slot as she now holds 457 career saves, just ahead of senior Victória Chamorro, who ranks No. 5 all-time with 428 career saves.
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BY THE NUMBERS
Through the first 13 games of 2018, USC has outscored opponents 158-50. Freshman Paige Hauschild is the Trojans' top scorer to date with 33 goals, giving her an MPSF-best 2.54 goals per game average. Behind her on the 2018 scoresheet sits sophomore Denise Mammolito with 21 goals to date, followed by sophomore Kelsey McIntosh at 16 and seniors Brianna Daboub and Annika Jensen gripping 14 apiece. On the defensive end, three goalies have checked into the cage to date. Junior Amanda Longan has logged minutes in eight games, averaging 11.71 saves and 4.35 goals-against per game. She also boasts back-to-back complete-game shutouts in the cage. Senior goalie Victória Chamorro has appeared in five games and averages 10.35 saves and 2.59 goals-against per game. Senior Nicola Gonzales made her first career appearance on Jan. 27, making two saves in one period of work in that USC victory. The Trojan defense has rendered opponents silent in at least one period of play in 11 different games while accumulating a grand total of 25 shutout periods this season so far.
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2018 TROJANS AT A GLANCE
Five All-Americans and seven NCAA champions strong, the 2018 USC women's water polo roster has the experience and the skill to lock up another national championship. This year's arsenal of Trojans boasts a daunting blend of veterans and youth — all armed with the talent and savvy to propel USC to the top. Already ranked No. 2 in the land as the 2018 season gets underway, USC trains its focus on that NCAA trophy, which the Trojans last captured in 2016 in an undefeated run through that season. Back in the captains' roles for 2018 are two members of that title-winning team in All-Americans Brianna Daboub and Amanda Longan, who are leading a group of very hungry Women of Troy. Headlining this freshman class is U.S. National Team member Paige Hauschild, who is tabbed as a starter for the Trojans. A set of sophomores — Denise Mammolito, Maud Megens and Kelsey McIntosh are also in that mix, along with savvy seniors Daboub and Hayley McKelvey.Â
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CAGE FIGHTERS
USC boasts a fearsome tagteam in the cage in All-American tandem Victória Chamorro and Amanda Longan. Both compete for their respective national teams — Chamorro as a 2016 Olympian with Brazil and Longan as a gold-medalist with Team USA at the recent 2017 FINA World Championships. The Trojan defense allowed just 4.59 goals per game last season, with both Chamorro and Longan averaging over 10 saves per game in the cage. This year, Longan made some Trojan history in anchoring back-to-back shutout wins over LMU and Cal Baptist. Longan is the only USC goalie to record back-to-back complete-game shutouts.
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BACK ON THE ATTACK
A year's experience for last season's freshmen — Maud Megens, Kelsey McIntosh, Denise Mammolito, Elise Stein and Kaylee Brownsberger —  along with the leadership of 2016 NCAA champion seniors Victória Chamorro, Brianna Daboub, Hayley McKelvey and Annika Jensen and juniors Amanda Longan, Courtney Fahey and Brooke Presten will raise the bar again for the Trojans. As a true freshman, Megens was USC's second leading scorer with 58 goals. Daboub, McKelvey and Mammolito combined for an even 100 goals. Add to that the depth charge that U.S. National Team member Paige Hauschild and her fellow true freshmen bring for 2018, and USC's attack becomes well-rounded and dangerous. USC also has three new internationals in the water to diversify that attack. Canadians Verica Bakoc and Nina Ceklic are in the mix, along with New Zealand product Nadia Pavlovich. U.S. product Randi Reinhardt also stands out as a key addition to USC's rotation for 2018.
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LAST SEASON
In 2017, the Trojans finished up 29-4 overall with a run to the 2017 NCAA semifinals in USC's 14th consecutive trip to the tourney. USC posted a 4-2 record in MPSF action and went on to claim third in the 2017 MPSF Tournament. The Trojans received a No. 3 seed into the NCAA Tournament, where USC was looking to win back-to-back national championships for the first time in program history. USC would go up against top-seeded Stanford in the semis, coming up just short of a trip to the final with an 11-10 loss. Stephania Haralabidis was USC's top scorer in 2017 with 84 goals. She'd be named a First Team All-American to close out her USC career. Freshman Maud Megens earned Second Team honors, while senior Brigitta Games and sophomore Amanda Longan were Third Team picks, and junior captain Brianna Daboub earned All-America Honorable Mention.•
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