Feb. 19, 2005

LOS ANGELES, CA - Despite three goals from senior All-American Jodie Needles, the No. 8-ranked Cal women's water polo team fell to defending national champion and No. 2-ranked USC, 12-8, Saturday at McDonalds Swim Stadium on the USC campus. Sophomores Erika Figge and Brittany Hayes scored three goals each for the Trojans, who improved to 7-1 and 3-0 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Golden Bears go to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the MPSF.

Figge and Hayes, along with Cal's Elsie Windes, were teammates for the U.S. Junior National Team that won the gold medal last month at the 2005 FINA Junior World Championship in Australia.

Sophomore goalie Alexandra Lopez aided the Women of Troy's effort with 12 saves in the match.

USC jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals by Figge and senior Anna Pardo before Cal evened the match on two straight goals by Needles. Needles ended up leading the Bears with three goals, and junior Allison Gold added two goals. Windes and freshman Vanessa Lindsey also scored for Cal.

Both teams battled back and forth until freshman Miranda Nichols broke a 6-6 tie with a goal in the second period with three seconds remaining for a 7-6 USC lead. The Women of Troy did not look back, outscoring the Bears by a 5-2 margin in the second half.

Cal next travels to the UC Santa Barbara Invitational, Feb. 25-27, in Santa Barbara.

CAL 3-3-0-2---8
USC 3-4-2-3---12

CAL Goals: Jodie Needles 3, Allison Gold 2,
Elsie Windes, Vanessa Lindsey
USC Goals: Brittany Hayes 3, Erika Figge 3,
Eszter Gyori 2, Erin Wilson,
Miranda Nichols, Anna Pardo, Melissa Madrid
Goalies: Alex Feune de Colombi (CAL), 6 saves;
Alexandra Lopez (USC), 12 saves