LOS ANGELES – Stanford used a 5-1 run over the second and third quarters to storm back from an early three-goal deficit, but UCLA’s Devin Grab scored her fourth of the afternoon on a penalty early in sudden death overtime to help the No. 2 Bruins escape with a 9-8 victory over the No. 3 Cardinal on Saturday.
Both teams scored twice in the first overtime period and were held scoreless in the second. Early in the third, UCLA’s Mackenzie Barr drew a penalty on Stanford (19-4, 4-2 MPSF), which set up Grab’s winner. The teams’ first meeting of 2016, the two could see each other multiple times in the postseason. The Bruins (22-3, 5-1 MPSF) secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MPSF Tournament while Stanford will be seeded third.
Jamie Neushul, who scored four goals for the third time this season, powered the Cardinal back in it late in the first half. Scoreless over the game’s first 14 minutes and down 3-0, Stanford scored a trio of unanswered goals in the final 2:18 of the second quarter to knot things up at halftime.
Dani Jackovich started the Stanford run when she took a touch pass over the top from Neushul, patiently found an opening and slid the ball underneath UCLA’s Alex Musselman. Streaking down the pool, Neushul scored off a long feed from Julia Hermann with under a minute until intermission and with 11 seconds on the clock she sat five-meters out, used a few fakes and skipped it to the back of the cage.
Three unanswered to close the second quarter for the Cardinal. Halftime.
— Stanford Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) April 23, 2016
Stanford 3 - UCLA 3
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Stanford’s run continued in the third following a Grab goal 90 seconds into the period. Neushul lobbed home her third straight for Stanford to tie the game, 4-4, when no one picked her up in front with 3:14 on the clock. Kat Klass gave the Cardinal its first lead of the day on the counter following a Jordan Raney steal at 2:36.
Stanford has scored five of the game's last six goals & has its first lead.
— Stanford Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) April 23, 2016
Stanford 5 - UCLA 4
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The game would teeter back-and-forth the rest of the way. Grab brought UCLA level in the fourth quarter (6:51), but Klass would respond when she went bar down and in after the ball cycled through Raney, Neushul and Madison Berggren multiple times.
UCLA tied it up again on its next possession and neither team was able to break the deadlock in regulation following a frantic final seconds that featured a Bruin offensive foul, Stanford breakaway, Musselman save and Hermann stop on a pool-length attempt at the buzzer.
The Bruins struck first in overtime, prompting a Jackovich answer. Then UCLA inched ahead again and was reeled in on Neushul’s fourth of the game with 15 seconds to go in the first extra period.
We're tied again!
— Stanford Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) April 23, 2016
Stanford 7 - UCLA 7
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Stanford will open its MPSF Tournament in Bakersfield, California on Friday at 12:45 p.m. against sixth-seeded San Jose State. The winner will face either UCLA or the host Roadrunners on Saturday at the same time.
No. 3 Stanford at No. 2 UCLA
April 23, 2016 • Los Angeles, Calif.
UCLA 2 – 1 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 0 – 1 = 9
STAN 0 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0 = 8
UCLA Goals: Devin Grab 4, Mackenzie Barr 2, Aubrie Monahan 2, India Forster
UCLA Saves: Alex Musselman 8
Stanford Goals: Jamie Neushul 4, Dani Jackovich 2, Kat Klass 2
Stanford Saves: Julia Hermann 9