WPOLO4/13/2024 5:02 PM | By: Cal Athletics
No. 5 Bears Nearly Upset No. 1 Bruins
UCLA Held To Single Digits For First Time This Year
BERKELEY – Facing No. 1 UCLA for the first time this season Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex, the No. 5 California women's water polo team held the Bruins to a season low in goals but fell just short in a 7-6 defeat.
The Golden Bears (13-5, 2-2) led early on and tied the game on four occasions. Neither team led by more than a single goal until the Bruins (20-0, 5-0) took a 7-5 advantage midway through the fourth quarter. Junior Elena Flynn sealed her fifth hat trick with 2:23 to go in the game, but Cal wasn't able to find another equalizer on its last two possessions.
Flynn finished with two steals, a block and an assist to go with her game-high three goals. Senior goalkeeper Isabel Williams reached double figures for the 15th time this year with 10 saves to go with a pair of swipes as Cal's defense became the first to hold UCLA to single digits in the scoring department in 2024.
Following an early Bruin goal, the Bears fired back with a pinpoint shot to the far post by Maryn Dempsey and a 6-on-5 conversion by Feline Voordouw to take a 2-1 lead at the end of one. Later on, Flynn opened the third quarter with her first goal of the day to make it 3-3, breaking away from her defender to tap in an Abbi Magee pass from a couple meters out.
Three minutes later, senior Reagan Whitney rocketed one in from the outside to tie it at 4-4. Williams capped off a brilliant third quarter with her fourth save of the period, as she got her left hand on a penalty attempt to keep the game tied.
After UCLA regained the lead, Flynn finished off a counter by skipping in her second goal to tie it once again at 5-5. The Bruins finally broke the trend of one-goal leads by scoring twice in quick succession, but the Bears weren't done, as Williams got her left hand up just in time for a close-range reaction save that led to another counter goal by Flynn.
Cal had the ball with two opportunities to tie it in the final two minutes. A pass inside to Dempsey just barely missed the mark as she rose high to redirect it. The Bears tried to feed it inside to junior Rozanne Voorvelt on their final possession, but weren't able to get a shot away.
Tomorrow, Cal will close out its 2024 regular-season home slate with a 1 p.m. PT Senior Day matchup against No. 17 San Jose State. Seven Golden Bear seniors will be honored approximately 20 minutes before game time.
No. 1 UCLA 7, No. 5 Cal 6
Cal 2 0 2 2 – 6
UCLA 1 2 2 2 – 7
Cal Goals: Elena Flynn 3, Maryn Dempsey, Feline Voordouw, Reagan Whitney
UCLA Goals: Malia Allen 3, Brooke Doten 2, Hannah Palmer, Molly Renner
Cal Saves: Isabel Williams 10
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 20
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