Stanford Posts Invitational Title, 500th Win
Feb. 3, 2015 MPSF Women's Water Polo Release 3
STANFORD (6-0 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) defeated UC Davis 16-4, UC Irvine 11-3, San Jose State 11-8, and UCLA, 10-6 to capture the Stanford Invitational Championship (Jan. 31-Feb. 1). The win over San Jose State was the 500th all-time victory in Stanford's remarkable women's water polo history, before finishing the week with an all-time program record of 501-81 (.861). In the finals vs. the Bruins, the Cardinal pulled away in the fourth quarter with three straight goals after a 7-6 lead after three. Anna Yelizarova had two hat tricks during the weekend, one in the final and one vs. UCI, a game in which the opponent did not score until the fourth quarter. Ashley Grossman poured in five goals and Kiley Neushul four goals vs. UCD. Katie Dudley had scored in five of her first six collegiate games with three more goals. Gabby Stone collected 27 saves in 13 quarters (5.23 GAA).
UCLA (9-1 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) posted wins over Hawaii 12-4, California 10-5, and Indiana 11-4, on its way to the finals against the host in the Stanford Invitational. Alys Williams had four goals vs. Cal, as did Emily Donohoe vs. Hawaii on the first day. Sami Hill had 12 stops vs. Cal. Williams had three goals on day two vs. Indiana, and finished with nine for the tournament. Sami Hill's 32 tournament saves gives her 791 for her career, and 25 away from cracking the MPSF's all-time top-10 list. Freshman Devin Grab collected three goals and two assists through the 3-1 weekend.
CALIFORNIA (9-1 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) Dora Antal put away four goals in an impressive 9-4 third-place Stanford Invitational win over the top non-MPSF team, No. 6 UC Irvine. Antal combined for eight goals in the four games, as did Sierra Smiley, as Cal also knocked off Hawaii 8-5 and Indiana, 18-7. Smiley and Roser Tarrago scored five goals apiece in the Indiana game. Antal leads the Bears through 10 games with 31 goals (3.10 GPG).
SAN JOSE STATE (9-3 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) picked up its ninth win of the year with a decisive 15-6 outcome over UC Davis at Stanford (Jan. 31). Clara Espar Llaquet scored five goals in the win, and Bianca Seyfert had hat tricks in the win as well as against Stanford. Espar Llaquet had four goals in the Spartans' first loss of the year vs. UCI, while Katelynn Thompson picked up a career-high 14 saves.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (3-6 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) defeated No. 20 Hartwick, 8-4, and 2014 NCAA Tournament participant Pomona-Pitzer, 12-8 in a doubleheader at Cal Baptist (Jan. 31). Nicola Barrett had a hat trick vs. Hartwick, as the Roadrunners defeated their second ranked opponent of the year. Ashley Paz had four goals and Brittany Tyra collected 13 saves against Pomona. Kristen Jensen added a career-high seven steals and Barrett a career-high five assists.
ARIZONA STATE (6-0 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) will have four games this weekend at the UC San Diego Invitational, beginning with Sonoma State. The Sun Devils opened their season at the UCSB Winter Invitational (Jan. 23-25), defeating CS Northridge 9-6, Cal Baptist 15-9, UC San Diego 9-5, Azusa Pacific 16-8, CSU Bakersfield 19-6, and the host UCSB, 12-7. Alkistis Benekou matched a school record seven goals vs. APU, becoming the fifth Sun Devil to achieve the feat, and becoming the first to do so since Alicia Brightwell on April 29, 2012. Benekou totaled 20 goals in the first six games of the season. E.B. Keeve stopped a 2015 conference-high 16 shots against UCSB. Lena Mihailovic scored eight goals in six games, five vs. CSUB.
USC (2-0 Overall, 0-0 MPSF) has been off since the UCLA Invitational, where it outscored its opponents 57-8, defeating Cal Baptist 24-3 and CSU Bakersfield 33-5 to kick-off the season. Monica Vavic combined for 14 goals over the two wins, including eight vs. CSUB, tying the most by an MPSF player since 2007 (Sarah Harris of Pacific had nine in a game that year). Eight goals had been achieved two other times in the conference since then. Vavic owns 205 career goals, currently tied for 32nd in MPSF history. Stephania and Ioanna Haralabidis each had five-goal games vs. CSUB, and Brigitta Games totaled five goals in her first collegiate day. The Trojans compete at the UCSD Invitational this weekend, first meeting CSU East Bay.