Collegiate Cup Gold
Irvine, Calif. (via USA Water Polo) - Some six months removed from the 2014 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship match, little has changed among the elite teams in women's college water polo, at least for one weekend. In the championship match of the first ever Collegiate Cup, pitting the top women's college water polo teams with two USA National Team squads, it was Stanford and UCLA meeting for all the marbles. Reprising their role as champion from this past spring, the Cardinal came through in the NCAA Championship rematch, once again downing the Bruins 9-7 in a back and forth match that witnessed a level of intensity not normally reserved for off-season action. In the third place game, a split-squad USA Women's National Team got past USC 11-8. For complete tournament results, click here.
In the championship game, the two evenly matched squads kept things close throughout. Stanford lead 3-2 after the first period only to see the Bruins force a tie at 4-4 at halftime. After three periods UCLA went ahead 7-6, but Stanford rallied in the fourth, scoring three unanswered goals in the period to take the match 9-7. Kiley Neushul led a balanced Cardinal attack with three goals all in the first half while Ashley Grossman, Maggie Steffens, and Jordan Raney delivered the decisive goals in the fourth period. Gabby Stone went the distance in net for Stanford while Sam Hill patrolled the cage all four quarters for UCLA. Devin Grab powered UCLA on offense with two goals in a balanced effort with six different scorers.
Stanford finished the tournament undefeated, topping Indiana 25-4, USA Blue 13-6, USC 9-8, and then UCLA 9-7. They fell to a full strength USA National Team 10-9 in overtime in an exhibition match on Saturday evening.
1st Place
Stanford 9 UCLA 7
Stanford 9 (3, 1, 2, 3): Kiley Neushul 3, Ashley Grossman 2, Gurpreet Sohi 1, Jordan Raney 1, Shannon Cleary 1, Maggie Steffens 1
UCLA 7 (2, 2, 3, 0): Devin Grab 2, Rachel Fattal 1, Kodianne Hill 1, India Forster 1, Alexis Angermund 1, Aubrie Monahan 1