Beat SC! #1 UCLA Women’s Water Polo Plays #2 Southern Cal with the MSPF Title on the Line

Last Saturday, the UCLA Women’s Water Polo team defeated #1 Stanford 10-9 on the road for their ninth straight win. The victory allowed the Bruins to take over the top spot in this week’s CWPA Top 25 Coaches Poll and it set up a showdown between UCLA and #2 Southern Cal today.

Not only is the number spot in the country on the line when the teams meet today, but the MPSF regular season title is also on the line. If UCLA wins, the Bruins are the regular season champs and will receive a bye in next weekend’s MPSF Tournament. If Southern Cal wins, then UCLA, Southern Cal and Stanford will likely finish in a three-way tie since the Cardinal will host San Jose State this afternoon and the Spartans are not very good.

Basically, the Bruins need to win today to claim the top seed in the MPSF Tournament. If Southern Cal wins today and there’s a three-way tie, Stanford will probably earn the top seed based on goal differential and then Southern Cal would earn the second seed on the basis of having beaten UCLA.

Last Saturday against Stanford, six different Bruins scored. Redshirt senior Kodi Hill recorded a hat trick while Maddie Musselman and Alys Williams each scored two goals. Rachel Fattal added her 209th career goal. Alexa Tielman scored her only goal less than a minute into the game while Bronte Halligan also scored for UCLA.

The game-winner was made by Musselman with just over five and a half minutes to go in the game.

Hill’s performance earned her MPSF Player of the Week honors and Musselman was named the MPSF Newcomer of the Week.

UCLA has now won nine straight games as they head into Senior Day.

#1 UCLA Bruins (19-1, 5-0)

Opponent: #2 Southern Cal Trojans (26-1, 4-1)

When: Saturday, April 22, 2017, 1:00 pm PT

Where: Spieker Aquatics Center, Los Angeles, CA

TV: Pac-12 Networks Los Angeles with Greg Mescall and Adam Krikorian

Live Stream: Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app

Live Stats: None


This is your UCLA Women’s Water Polo “Beat ‘SC!” open thread.

Go Bruins!!!