April 24, 2010
STANFORD, Calif. - The second-ranked Stanford women's water polo team laid claim to its first MPSF regular season title since 2007 thanks to a dramatic 7-6 come-from-behind victory in overtime over top-ranked USC Saturday afternoon at Avery Aquatic Center.
The victory gives Stanford (22-1, 7-0 MPSF) the MPSF regular season title as well as the top seed at next weekend's MPSF Tournament in Los Angeles. The Cardinal will face No. 8 seed Arizona State at 1:30 p.m. next Friday, April 30, at UCLA's Spieker Aquatics Center.
It was fitting that on Senior Day, seniors Kelly Eaton and Kelsey Holshouser each scored twice to lead the Cardinal. Senior two-meter Alex Koran drew a pair of five-meter penalties which led to two Cardinal goals, while fellow two-meter senior Jessica Steffens made numerous key field blocks to deny a number of Trojan shots.
The remaining three Cardinal goals were scored by Monica Coughlan, Kim Krueger and Melissa Seidemann.
Amber Oland played one of her best games of her career for the Cardinal, making 13 saves and holding USC, the MPSF's most prolific scoring team, to just six goals. After USC took a 4-1 lead by the five-minute mark of the second period, Oland stepped up and made 11 of her 13 saves the rest of the way and allowed just two goals over the final 27:17 of action.
For the Trojans, Joelle Bekhazi scored three times while Alexandra Kiss found the back of the cage twice. Kristen Dronberger scored the remaining USC goal. Goalie Tumua Anae also had a fine day in the cage, making 12 saves.
Koran's drawing of a five-meter penalty just 1:20 into the game led to Seidemann's goal on the ensuing penalty shot. But that would be the only highlight for the Cardinal over the next 13:03, as the Trojans would score the next four goals.
The Trojans got two goals from Bekhazi at 4:21 and 2:44 of the first to take their first-period lead, then Kiss struck with a pair in the opening 2:23 of the second as USC looked to be in control early.
Stanford would fight back late in the frame, as Coughlan scored her fourth goal of the season thanks to a nice feed from Seidemann in transition. Seidemann would notch another key assist 47 seconds later, springing Holshouser for a shot inside the near post to cut the deficit to 4-3 at the break.
The momentum continued as the third period got underway, as just over a minute into the half, Oland rose high out of the water to stone Kami Craig's one-timer from two meters out on a restart after a Cardinal exclusion. Oland added to the great play by finding Koran ahead of the USC defense, where Koran then drew another penalty shot. Eaton would take it this time, burying it into the lower-left corner to make it 5-5. The teams stalemated for nearly the next three minutes as Oland and Anae continued to match one another save for save.
USC would break through to regain the lead at the 3:39 mark, as Bekhazi fired home from the point for her third goal of the contest. Yet Stanford would would equalize once more, as Holshouser netted her second with 1:02 to play in the period.
Stanford would fight off two more USC 6-on-5s before taking its first lead since the 6:40 mark of the first period. USC couldn't solve Oland in a 6-on-5 in the final minute of the third period nor again at the 6:31 mark of the fourth. Two minutes later, Cardinal southpaw Kim Krueger would go far post from the right wing past Anae to give Stanford it's first lead in nearly three quarters at 6-5.
Oland would continue to make huge saves against the Trojans to anchor the Cardinal defense over the next four-plus minutes, up until the Trojans caught a break in the final seconds.
After forcing a shot-clock violation and calling timeout with 38 seconds remaining, the Trojans could not break through the Cardinal defensive perimeter on its ensuing possession. Patricia Jancso was forced to fire a shot from about seven meters out which Oland lunged to her left to knock away. But the rebound found an unmarked Dronberger, who beat Oland with six seconds left on the clock. After Anae saved Seidemann's final shot at the horn, the teams were headed to overtime.
The Cardinal would net the only goal of the extra sessions, as Stanford drew a pair of ejections against the Trojans within 22 seconds of each other. Just after the second ejection, Eaton would get in close on the four-person USC defense and fire home for the 7-6 lead.
The Stanford defense would hold over the remaining 4:20 as USC's final shot skipped high over the crossbar as time expired.
USC - 2 2 1 1 0-0 = 6
Stanford - 1 2 2 1 1-0 = 7
Stanford Goal Scorers: Eaton 2, Holshouser 2, Coughlan, Krueger, Seidemann
USC Goal Scorers: Bekhazi 3, Kiss 2, Dronberger
Goalie Saves: Oland 13 (S); Anae 12 (USC)