Despite a 9-4 loss to No. 14 San Diego State in the fourth annual Harper Cup on April 24, the No. 18 UCSD women’s water polo team concluded its regular season with a big statement, defeating No. 16 Arizona State, 5-2, in the finale at Canyonview Pool on April 25, the team’s third win over a ranked opponent in four games.
Rising up:
“I think we played better defense in the second match because we were more intense … but it wasn’t because of the emotion of it being the last game of the season,” UCSD head coach Larry Sanders said. “This is the same strong defense we’ve had all season, only now it’s more consistent.”
Having started the year sluggishly, carrying a 3-9 record at one point, the Tritons have rallied, posting 10 wins in their last 14 games, a streak that has included three 3-1 tournament finishes, to complete the regular season with a 16-16 overall record. UCSD’s recent success can be credited to an offensive outburst led by senior utility Courtney Clevenger and senior driver Tobi Lyman, who have combined for 55 goals in the 14-game stretch, as well as a stubborn defense.
This rejuvenated attack, partly responsible for the win over Arizona State, provides momentum for the Tritons as they head to the Western Water Polo Association Championships, hosted by UC Davis. With a 7-4 record against WWPA opponents in 2005, UCSD will enter the competition with the third seed, while Loyola Marymount and UC Davis pick up the first and second seeds, respectively.
Despite having a first-round bye, the Tritons will have to grapple with a tougher opponent — the winner of the six seed-11 seed match — in the second round than will the second-seeded Aggies. Should both teams prevail, it will set up a clash in the semifinals for the fourth consecutive season. UCSD won the last two semifinal matches, including a 10-6 triumph last season, but the Aggies swept the Tritons in their two games this season, with both wins coming by a one-goal margin.
UCSD secured a win in their season finale for the second year in a row by clamping down on Arizona State’s offense in the second half, holding them scoreless. Both teams netted a goal apiece in the first two periods, with Clevenger and freshman 2-meter Judy Emaus scoring for UCSD.
With the defense shutting down the Sun Devils’ attack, sophomore 2-meter Britta Nordstrom’s goal with 4 minutes, 33 seconds left in the third period gave UCSD a 3-2 lead. Lyman and sophomore two-meter Sarah Bajorek both scored in the final quarter to seal the win for the Tritons. Junior Kaitlin Foe made five saves in goal for the Tritons.
UCSD began the game against San Diego State on April 22 with the same poise, as Bajorek matched Rachel Serna’s goal at the 41-second mark with a goal of her own, leaving the Tritons down by only one at the end of the first quarter. But the Aztecs pulled away in the second period, with Serna and Stacy Werner earning goals on San Diego State’s first two possessions and ending the frame with Serna’s third goal of the contest, to give UCSD a five-goal deficit.
The Aztecs made it 8-1 before the Tritons got back on the scoreboard, courtesy of Lyman’s goal with 3:30 left in the third quarter. After another Aztec goal, San Diego State’s Becca Ur was called for a penalty, giving the Tritons a shot that Clevenger easily converted.
“The first quarter was close, but we still weren’t being intense on defense,” Sanders said. “San Diego State didn’t take advantage of all their opportunities in the first quarter, but then they took advantage and went ahead.”
UCSD’s defense finally stepped in during the final quarter, holding the Aztecs scoreless. But the offense produced only one point, as Clevenger tallied her second goal of the game with 5:19 remaining.
With a goal and three assists, San Diego State’s Dominique Delgado earned the Most Valuable Player award as the Aztecs sealed their fourth-consecutive Harper Cup win. The Harper Cup is named for current UCSD men’s water polo head coach Denny Harper, who coached both Sanders and San Diego State women’s water polo head coach Carin Crawford at UCSD. As head coach of the women’s team, Harper led the Tritons to five national championships.
In other recent action, the Tritons made it to the .500 plateau on April 17, climbing over two ranked teams, No. 12 UC Irvine and No. 17 Cal State Northridge, to cap off a spotless second day and ensure a 3-1 finish at the Long Beach State University Invitational. With their third 3-1 finish in as many tournaments, the Tritons stood even in the win-loss column for the first time in the season with a 15-15 record.
UCSD began the tournament on April 16 with an offensive attack that put up 20 goals en route to an 11-2 win over UC Santa Cruz, followed by a 9-7 setback to Pacific for a 1-1 opening day start. On April 17, UCSD unleashed its suffocating defense, highlighted in the 5-2 triumph over UC Irvine by Foe’s 10 saves between the pipes. The defense stepped up again later that day when it was called upon against Cal State Northridge, supplementing a four-goal Triton fourth quarter by holding the Matadors to a single point in the frame to seal a 7-5 victory.
“This was a good day for us; we were stingy on defense, which allowed us to basically do the same things we’ve been doing all year on offense without the pressure of having to be down a goal,” Sanders said.
UCSD earned its biggest upset of the year by closing off all UC Irvine’s offensive outlets, holding the Anteaters to their lowest points in a game all season. UC Irvine didn’t get onto the scoreboard until the third period; by then, the Tritons had put up four goals and would get one more while allowing another Anteater tally. The game was also a showcase of UCSD’s depth, as five different Tritons contributed a goal: Clevenger, Lyman, junior driver Flynn LaRochelle, Bajorek and Emaus.
“UC Irvine missed a lot of shots and opportunities, but our defense had a part in holding them up and causing those missed shots … we definitely kept them off their rhythm,” Sanders said.
After scoring only three goals in the first three periods against Cal State Northridge, the Tritons pulled off a comeback win by doubling their tally with three more points. A Lyman goal late in the period sealed the deal for the Tritons, who avenged a 10-5 loss at the hands of the Matadors on April 2. Clevenger earned her second goal of the day with 3:24 left to give UCSD the lead.
“We held them off on defense until the fourth quarter, and that’s when our strong conditioning and speed kicked in,” Sanders said. “Cal State Northridge is a team we haven’t had success with in the past year and a half; we lost to them three times last season, so getting this win will build our momentum heading into the next few games.”
Both teams came to an even 2-2 draw in the first period before the Matadors scored in the second frame to take a 3-2 lead going into the half. UCSD and Cal State Northridge also tallied a goal apiece in the third before the Tritons opened up their comeback. Clevenger, Lyman and Bajorek notched a pair of goals each while Emaus earned one. Chari Christopher led the Matadors with a hat trick. Foe made seven stops in the contest.
With the regular season complete, the Tritons will head up the coast to Davis, Calif., to compete in the WWPA championships from April 29 to May 1.
