This weekend, the top-ranked UCLA women’s water polo team
will head north to continue its road trip against No. 7 Cal on
Saturday and unranked Pacific on Sunday. When the Bruins (22-0, 7-0
MPSF) face off against the Golden Bears (12-7, 3-4) over the
weekend, they will get an opportunity to play in the same pool that
they will be competing in for the conference tournament, which UCLA
coach Adam Krikorian is looking forward to having his team
experience. “It would be nice to get a feel for the pool
before the championship,” Krikorian said. The match-up
against Cal also pits UCLA against a team that is known for having
one of the best women’s water polo programs in the nation.
Consistently ranked among the top five in the nation, the Bears, in
Krikorian’s mind, are a better team than their current
national ranking may suggest. Krikorian said he considers Cal as
difficult an opponent for his team as two of the top teams in the
nation. “Cal’s been one of our biggest rivals,”
Krikorian said. “Playing them is similar to playing a USC or
a Stanford.” Knowing that Cal has a rich tradition in
collegiate women’s water polo, sophomore goalie Emily Feher
is wary of the Bruins slipping to the Bears with only five games
remaining in the regular season. “We want to prove that
we’re not going to take anything lightly,” Feher
said.
GOLDA SHARING THE WEALTH: Natalie Golda, the third all-time
career goal scorer in UCLA women’s water polo history with
142 career goals, has scored just four goals in the last five
games. But that hasn’t deterred her one bit. With teams
focusing on one of the Bruins’ most dangerous scorers, the
senior has instead improved on her all-around game, setting up
opportunities for her teammates. “I think a lot of teams are
marking me now,” Golda said. “But I’m better
all-around. I see (my teammates) better.” With 31 goals this
season, Golda is still a good distance away from reaching the
50-goal plateau that she reached during UCLA’s 2003
championship season. The Bruins have five games remaining.