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The UCLA Women’s Water Polo team swept both games of their Saturday doubleheader at the Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In the first game, the Bruins defeated the Marist Red Foxes, 18-8. Later in the day, they beat the host Michigan Wolverines, 9-5.
Against Marist, Lizette Rozeboom started the scoring fest for the Bruins with a powerplay goal just 44 seconds into the game. It was the first of five first quarter goals for UCLA. Bronte Halligan was the second Bruin on the scoreboard, just a minute and a half after Rozeboom. Lexi Liebowitz made it 3-0 with just under 2:30 to go while Maddie Musselman and Emily Skelly would also add goals in the first quarter to give UCLA a 5-0 lead after one.
Marist responded with two goals early in the second quarter to cut UCLA’s lead to three. Nicole Reynolds picked up UCLA’s sixth goal of the game, but the Red Foxes responded on a power play goal. UCLA responded with goals from Brooke Maxson and Bronte Halligan to take a 7-3 lead. With 24 seconds left in the half, Marist got another goal back to make it 8-4 at the half.
About two minutes into the third quarter, Maxson scored what would prove to be the game winner and UCLA led 9-4, but Marist responded less than 30 seconds later. Skelly and Rozeboom both picked up their second goals of the game to stretch UCLA’s lead to six. Lauren Smith scored the Red Foxes’ seventh goal of the game to cut the lead back to five with less than three minutes to go in the third. With 1:14 left, Louise Hazell scored her first goal of the game for the Bruins while Skelly would complete her hat trick by nailing a penalty shot to close out scoring for the quarter.
Skelly’s fourth goal, which came in the first minute of the fourth quarter, gave UCLA a 14-6 edge while Sarah Sheldon added one with just under six minutes to go. With 4:55 to go, Skelly scored her fifth goal of the game, which Marist responded to 18 seconds later. Not to be outdone, Skelly netted her sixth goal of the game 23 seconds after Marist scored to give the Bruins a 17-7 lead. Alexis Angermund joined the party when she scored UCLA’s last goal with 1:07 to go. Marist manages to score one final goal with just 3 seconds to go and the final was UCLA 18, Marist 8.
In the afternoon game, Musselman started off where she left off against the Wolverines last week: by scoring. She scored the Bruins’ first goal just 31 seconds into the game. Liebowitz put UCLA up by two when she scored with 5:!3 left in the first. With just over three and a half minutes left in the quarter, the Wolverines cut the Bruin lead in half, but Halligan got the goal back about 30 seconds later and Rozeboom made it 4-1 with 2:10 to go. Michigan snuck one in with just 6 seconds left and the first quarter ended with the score UCLA 4, Michigan 2.
The Wolverines cut the Bruins’ lead to just one on a penalty shot with 6:34 to go in the half, but Hazell made it 5-3, UCLA with 4:24 to go. The final goal of the half came less than a minute later when Musselman scored what would be the eventual game winner and UCLA led 6-3 at the half.
Michigan fought back and scored the first goal of the third quarter, but Halligan picked up her second goal of the game 33 seconds later on a penalty shot and it was 7-4, Bruins. With 3:01 left, Musselman completed her hat trick. Michigan kept fighting, though, and scored again with 1:39 left in the third to make it 8-5, UCLA. The Bruins responded quickly again when Devin Grab scored to make it 9-5.
That would be the final goal of the game as neither team scored in the fourth quarter and the Bruins came away with an easier victory in Michigan’s home pool than they did a week ago against the Wolverines at the UCSB Winter Invitational.
This morning, the Bruins are back in the pool with a game at 7:15 am PT against #20 Wagner. This afternoon, they face the undefeated Pacific Tigers as the Bruins wrap up play in the Michigan Invitational.
This is your Michigan Invitational open thread.
Go Bruins!!!