Feb. 28, 2009
Updated Cal Statistics in PDF Format 
BERKELEY -
The No. 7 California women's water polo team lost, 14-4, to its toughest competition of the year in No. 2 USC. The Golden Bears best quarter was the second in which they matched the Trojans, each scoring three goals. Junior utility
Stephanie Schnugg paced Cal with two goals. The Bears fall to 15-3 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation while the Trojans now stand at 11-1 and 1-0 in the MPSF.
The game started on a high note for the Bears when freshman driver Emily Csikos blocked SC's first shot on goal 1:20 into the game. The Trojans scored two goals exactly two minutes apart - a skip shot by junior two-meter Kami Craig at 4:43 and junior driver Kally Lucas attacked left to right at 2:43.
Just above the one-minute mark, a Bear lob shot fell just short but junior driver Erin Scully recovered the ball and earned a man-advantage. Schnugg drew a five-meter penalty shot as the five-on-six clocked drained. Junior driver Meghan Corso took the shot, and her powerful try went past the USC goalkeeper Tumua Anae to get Cal on the board. The Trojans responded with two goals to close the period. Sophomore driver sophomore driver Joelle Bekhazi got the ball just past redshirt goalkeeper Stephanie Peckham and junior utility Forel Davies put the ball in the back left corner, bringing the score to 4-1 in USC's favor at the close of the first quarter.
Csikos began the second stanza with another field block. Davies found the back of the net from seven meters out 1:03 minutes into the quarter. In a counter attack, Schnugg scored on a pass from junior driver Remy Champion. Twenty seconds later, Lucas fired off a quick shot to distance USC, 6-2.
Junior utility Camille Hewko was the game's next scorer, with a left-side shot off a pass from Champion on a power play. Junior driver Alexandra Kiss got her first score of the game with 31 seconds to play in the half. With just 10.43 seconds left on the clock, a shot from Schnugg went over the defender and the keeper to bring Cal within three, 7-4.
The Trojans went on a 4-0 run in the third quarter to put Cal behind them, 11-4. Bekhazi went across the cage on a skip shot at 4:46. Shortly thereafter, Schnugg drew a five-meter penalty shot, but Anae saved Csikos' shot. Craig drew Peckham out to score with 1:41 remaining in the quarter. Craig lifted another shot in and senior utility Rosanna Tomiuk scored for the final goal of the period.
Senior driver Michelle Stein scored for USC with a six-on-four advantage and less than a minute later, senior utility Jordan Anae tipped in a shot. At the 4:10 mark, the Bear defense successfully stopped another six-on-four play. Anae scored the final goal of the game with 1:48 remaining.
Tumua Anae had 11 saves while Peckham had five and senior Lauren Burke stopped two. Craig led all scorers with three and Schnugg paced the Bears with two scores.
The Bears have a difficult weekend March 6-8. Cal will play at the Cal Lutheran Tournament on March 6 and 8 in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and take on No. 3 UCLA in Los Angeles on March 7.
Score by period 1 2 3 4 F
No. 2 USC 4 3 4 3 14
No. 7 Cal 1 3 0 0 4
USC goals: Kami Craig 3, Kally Lucas 2, Joelle Bekhazi 2, Forel Davies 2, Jordan Anae 1, Alexandra Kiss 1, Michelle Stein 1, Rossana Tomiuk 1
Cal goals: Stephanie Schnugg 2,
Meghan Corso 1,
Camille Hewko 2
USC saves: Tumua Anae 11
Cal saves: Stephanie Peckham 5, Lauren Burke 2
