LOS ANGELES - The 10th-ranked and seventh-seeded UC San Diego women's water polo team could not keep up offensively and fell to third-ranked and second-seeded UCLA by a final score of 17-4 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship, Friday at Spieker Aquatics Center on the campus of UCLA. The Tritons limited the Bruins to just two goals in the first quarter, but allowed 15 in the next three.
UCSD has its eight-game winning streak snapped and falls to 27-10 on the season. UCLA improves to 25-4.
Redshirt junior two-meter defender Alexis Wieseler led the Tritons with two goals. Senior attacker Laurel Kistler and junior attacker Connie Wu added one each. Senior goalie Courtney Miller compiled five saves in three quarters. Sophomore goalie Emma Scholz came off the bench in the fourth quarter and had three stops. Lizette Rozeboom and Alexa Tielmann put away four and three scores, respectively, for the Bruins. UCLA goalies Alex Musselman and Carlee Kapana amassed nine and one save, respectively.
All four of UCSD's goals came on power plays as the Tritons went 4-for-10 on six-on-five situations. UCSD limited the Bruins to 2-for-8 on power plays.
The Tritons struck first as Wieseler found the back of the cage from five meters out on the left side. UCLA put away two unanswered before the intermission, including one from Tielmann with 36 seconds left, as UCSD trailed 2-1 at the conclusion of the opening quarter.
The Bruins made it three consecutive with a Tielmann score, only 22 seconds in the second quarter. The Tritons answered back on their next posession as senior attacker Emma Sasson found Kistler for a catch-and-shoot goal. UCSD allowed three straight even-strength scores as UCLA opened up to a four-goal lead. Wieseler capitalized once again on a six-on-five as she fired one home from the left side. The Bruins were able to get one in with four ticks remaining as the Tritons trailed 7-3 at halftime.
Things started to snowball in the third frame, as UCSD was shutout and allowed seven UCLA goals. The Bruins made it an 11-score game, 14-3, at the end of three quarters.
The Tritons were outscored 3-1 in the final period as UCLA cruised to win by 13 scores. UCSD's lone goal in the quarter came from Wu, assisted by freshman attacker Krista Schneider.
The contest featured a matchup of sisters, as Triton freshman Chanel Schilling went up against Elissia Schilling, a junior who scored one of the Bruin goals.
Fifth place is still alive for the Tritons if they are able to win out in the three-day national tournament. UCSD will take on seventh-ranked and sixth-seeded UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, May 14 at noon. The Tritons and Gauchos split a pair of one-goal games in the regular season. UCSD fell to UCSB, 10-9, in Santa Barbara. At the Triton Invitational, UCSD took down the Gauchos, 12-11, in sudden death overtime.
BOX SCORE
UCSD 1 2 0 1 - 4
UCLA 2 5 7 3 - 17
GOALS
UCSD: Alexis Wieseler 2, Connie Wu 1, Laurel Kistler 1
UCLA: Lizette Rozeboom 4, Alexa Tielmann 3, Ashley Zwirner 2, Mackenzie Barr 2, Kelsey O'Brien 2, Alexis Angermund 2, Elissia Schilling 1, Aubrie Monahan 1
SAVES
UCSD: Courtney Miller 5, Emma Scholz 3
UCLA: Alex Musselman 9, Carlee Kapana 1
#TritonsRising
