As the UCLA water polo team hits the halfway point of their league schedule, they will look to continue their winning ways against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival California Saturday at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center.
The No. 3 Bruins (12-3, 3-0) have won seven of their last eight games, including a win over No. 7 Cal at the UC Irvine Invitational on Feb. 21. The Golden Bears (15-3, 1-1) will enter the match having played two games the previous day in Thousand Oaks.
In the two teams’ first meeting, a 9-4 UCLA victory, the Bruins jumped out to a 5-1 lead after one quarter ““ a margin that proved insurmountable against their stout defense. Fast starts have been key to the Bruins’ success this season, as they have outscored their opponents in the first quarter by a combined 45-17 margin this season.
“It’s hugely important to be able to set the tone of the game,” senior attacker Anne Belden said. “That is something we’re always trying to do, and we managed to do that to Cal the last time we played. Hopefully we can build a good lead on them again.”
Despite the five-goal margin of victory of the first meeting, coach Adam Krikorian believes that the Golden Bears still pose a significant threat.
“They are a tough and talented team,” he said. “You take away the fact that we jumped on them a little bit the first time, and that was quite a ball game. They’re physical and deep, and I think they’ll give us another good test.”
While the Bruins rely heavily on seniors Belden, Tanya Gandy, and Katie Rulon to provide scoring, the Golden Bears are led by the offensive prowess of junior Meghan Corso and freshman Emily Csikos. Corso leads the team with 37 goals, while Csikos has contributed 34 goals in her first collegiate season after moving to Berkeley from Canada.
“Doing a good job on Corso, Csikos and (junior Camille) Hewko will be key,” Krikorian said. “We’ve got to keep playing the way we have been defensively, because if we let those three get off and score some goals, things will get real tough.”
The Bruins will follow up their match against Cal with a pair of non-conference games Sunday against Cal Lutheran and Cal State Northridge on Cal Lutheran’s Thousand Oaks campus.
While Krikorian acknowledges that he will use the additional games as an opportunity to give quality minutes to reserves, he also recognizes that neither of the teams ““ particularly Northridge ““ will be a pushover.
“We’ve got to be ready for Northridge,” he said. “They are a really good team, and they gave us a heck of a game last year. Plus, they’re coached by a former Bruin, so you know they’ll be ready to go.”
That former Bruin is UCLA alumna Molly Barnes, who won national championships in 1996 and 1997 and was also a member of the inaugural UCLA women’s soccer team.
The matchup against Cal Lutheran gives the Bruins a chance to observe their depth and ideally provide a boost to the win column.
“The Cal Lutheran game is a game where we hope our reserves cannot only gain experience but confidence,” Krikorian said. “That’s really the purpose for scheduling the game at this point in the season.”
Despite the pair of non-league matches being sandwiched between MPSF games, the Bruins will look at the games no differently than they would a conference game. Belden stressed that the mindset remains the same no matter the opponent.
“Who we’re playing isn’t as important as how we’re playing,” Belden said. “We really emphasize just taking things one game at a time.”