Anna Reed Backstops USC to Women’s Water Polo National Title over Cal
Ava Stryker and Emily Ausmus had two goals and an assist each, and Anna Reed made 14 saves as USC edged Cal, 10-9, in Sunday’s NCAA Women’s Water Polo national championship game.
USC is the NCAA champion for the seventh time. It has been in the final eight times in the last 11 years. USC’s victory ensures that all 25 championships since the start of NCAA sponsorship in 2001 have belonged to it, UCLA or Stanford. It denies Cal, which upset No. 1 seed Stanford in the semifinals on Saturday, entry into the oligarchy of champions.
This one was successful thanks to goals by Morgan Netherton and Stryker midway through the second quarter that put the Trojans up 6-3. They wouldn’t tail the rest of the way at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla.
Cal’s Eszter Varro got the Golden Bears, who were looking for their first national title since 1998, back within 6-5. Ausmus scored with eight seconds left in the first half only for Cal’s Holly Dunn to tally with one second remaining for a 7-6 halftime deficit.
The game tightened after the break. Sinia Plotz restored USC’s two-goal margin only for Varro to reply with her third of the game. Meghan McAninch answered within two minutes for USC, but Julianne Snyder cut the deficit to 9-8 after three.
In the fourth, Reed denied a bid from Despoina Drakotou to tie it, opening space for Rachel Gazzaniga to double the lead to 10-8 with 6:06 left. Reed denied Rosalie Hassett on a man-advantage chance, though Drakotou converted a penalty foul with 5:23 left to make it 10-9.
The goalies took over from there. Talia Fonseca, who made 10 stops for Cal, turned aside Netherton. Reed stopped Maria Bogachenko on a man-advantage with three and a half minutes left. After a Fonseca block of Maggie Johnson, Reed came up with a steal.
Reed then denied Julia Bonaguidi with just over a minute to play on a Cal power play. Abbi Magee’s attempt in the final minute sailed wide of the cage.
Plotz scored twice for USC. Netherton and McAninch had a goal and an assist each.
Varro led Cal with a hat trick. Drakotou tallied two goals and an assist. Dunn scored twice, Magee had two assists. Hassett didn’t score but drew five exclusions and came up with four steals.
