The six former Bruins on the U.S. National water polo team
returned to Westwood on Saturday, but they were not greeted as
warmly as they might have hoped.
The No. 1 UCLA women’s waterpolo team dispatched of its
former teammates and the rest of the American squad at the Sunset
Canyon Recreation Center, winning its fourteenth straight game
3-2.
Former UCLA coach Guy Baker coached against his former
assistant, current Bruin coach Adam Krikorian. This made for a
competitive, defensive struggle that literally came down to the
final minute as both coaches tried to out-duel the other.
Krikorian has been adamant in praising his freshman class and
the youngsters did not disappoint. Freshman driver Kelly Rulon
scored the game-winning goal with under a minute to play to break a
2-2 tie. It was her second goal of the game, her first goal came
midway through the opening period.
“She’s been doing it all year. I told her that I
don’t consider her a freshman any more,” Krikorian
said. “Her outstanding play is nothing new or surprising to
our team.”
Amber Stachowski and Thalia Munro, two of the six Bruins on the
national Team, are redshirting for the 2003 season. Stachowski left
her mark, as she knotted up the score at 1-1 with less than a
minute to go in the second period.
“We came out wanting to win,” Stachowski said.
“I felt like my former teammates wanted to win more, but we
didn’t perform as well as we hoped to.”
UCLA’s senior driver Jessica Lopez provided the go-ahead
goal in the third period, as senior goalkeeper Jaime Hipp kept the
national team at bay with nine saves.
“They are extremely fast and definitely stronger than
us,” Hipp said. “Usually we get fast breaks and we can
use our strength against our opponents, but playing against the
[U.S. National Team] we just tried to keep pace.”
In the fourth quarter, the national team would not be denied as
Heather Petri scored with under two minutes to play, tying the
score at two apiece.
But it was not enough.
Rulon’s goal with 40 seconds to play sealed the win for
the Bruins.
“I was just excited at our performance and the win, but
our goal is still to win the nationals,” Rulon said.