MPSF Heads to UCI's Kalbus Invitational
Feb. 21, 2017 MPSF Women's Water Polo Release 6
STANFORD (0-0 MPSF, 8-0 Overall) Makenzie Fischer scored a career-high five goals in a 19-1 rout of Santa Clara, played in Berkeley (Feb. 18). Fischer is now tied for the team lead in goals (17) and averaging 2.13 per game. Her five goals matches the highest total for a Stanford freshman in a single game over the past four seasons (Kat Klass ââ'¬" 2016; Anna Yelizarova ââ'¬" 2013). The first opponent for the Cardinal this weekend at UC Irvine's Barbara Kalbus Invitational is CSUN, Friday at 10 am.
UCLA (0-0 MPSF, 8-0 Overall) delivered an impressive home opener this past Friday (Feb. 17) against UC Irvine, 16-1. Carlee Kapana allowed just one goal, while collecting 13 saves. Maddie Musselman accumulated a stat line of four goals, four steals, three assists, one earned exclusion, one field block, and one winning sprint. She has five hat tricks in her first eight collegiate outings. UCLA faces UC San Diego at 12:30 pm Friday in the first of four games in Irvine.
CALIFORNIA (1-0 MPSF, 10-1 Overall) cruised to a 14-4 home win over Santa Clara this past Saturday (Feb. 18) in their only game of the week. Cal meets San Jose State Friday at 1:45 pm in the first of its four games in Irvine this weekend. The Bears own a pair of nine-goal wins over the Spartans this year. Dora Antal is Cal's scoring leader with 27 goals in 2017 (2.70 GPG), ranking third in the conference. Emma Wright is close behind with 23 in her freshman year.
CSU BAKERSFIELD (0-1 MPSF, 4-7 Overall) Courtney Wahlstrom, who just last week surpassed 700 career saves, totaled 31 more in a four-game weekend split at the UC Davis Shootout (Feb. 18-19). CSUB defeated Sonoma State, 15-6, and Occidental, 14-3. Her high game came in a 12-6 loss to tournament host UCD. CSUB heads to Thousand Oaks this weekend to face St. Francis-Brooklyn, Siena, Occidental, and tournament host Cal Lutheran. Ashley Paz (1.29 GPG) and Kristen Jensen (1.27 GPG) are amongst the MPSF's top-25 scoring leaders.
SAN JOSE STATE (0-0 MPSF, 4-8 Overall) Katelynn Thompson recorded a season-high 13 saves in a 9-6 loss to Pacific this past Sunday (Feb. 19) at the UC Davis Shootout. The Spartans recovered in the back end of the doubleheader, soundly defeating Occidental, 20-3. Ten Spartans' scored in the victory, led by a career-high from Sheila Jensen with five goals. Kathryn Elgin added four goals. San Jose State faces California for the third time to open its four-game weekend at UC Irvine Friday.
USC (0-0 MPSF, 14-0 Overall) won its 41st-consecutive game in defending the UC San Diego Invitational title, defeating Santa Clara 18-2, San Diego State 17-4, Michigan 9-5, and Arizona State in the finals, 12-2 (Feb. 11-12). Victoria Chamorro allowed just two goals in the title game while collecting 12 saves in the cage (.857), while compiling 19 saves and allowing just four goals in two outings. Stephania Haralabidis completed a 10-goal weekend with a hat trick in the championship. The Trojans first play LMU Friday at 11:15 am in Irvine (Feb. 24-26). USC is within five wins of the MPSF's all-time win streak (UCLA-46 straight; 2007-09).
ARIZONA STATE (0-0 MPSF, 6-1 Overall) finished second at the UC San Diego Invitational (Feb. 11-12), posting wins over Sonoma State, 18-3, UC Davis 19-9, and UC Irvine, 9-8, en route to the title game. Maud Koopman had a five-goal game vs. Sonoma State, while Alkistis Benekou added four. Mia Rycraw recorded the top-two single-game save efforts in the MPSF this year, collecting 16 in the semifinals vs. UC Irvine and 15 in game two vs. UC Davis. The Sun Devils are next in action at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational (Feb. 24-26), first meeting Long Beach State.