TEMPE -- Petra Pardi scored the final official home goal of her career on senior day but the No. 7 Arizona State University water polo team couldn’t keep up with a potent UCLA offense, falling to the top-ranked Bruins 11-5 on Saturday in Tempe, Ariz.
A five-goal third period helped UCLA (20-1, 4-0 MPSF) pull away down the stretch and the Sun Devils had difficulties taking advantage of 6-on-5 situations, going just 2-for-11 on the day with a man advantage.
The Devils (16-7, 2-3 MPSF) held tough early in the game, drawing within 3-2 early in the second quarter on a sweet Alkistis Benekou backhand shot from center but UCLA would rip off four straight goals into the third quarter to slowly inch away from ASU.
Izabella Chiappini scored twice for the Devils to pace the ASU scoring and the team did a good job of creating offense but some tough shots and the outstanding goalkeeping of UCLA’s Sami Hill (11 saves) made it difficult for the Sun Devils to keep pace with a balanced Bruins attack that saw eight players find the back of the net.
“I thought at the beginning of the game we were really strong,” head coach Todd Clapper said after there game. “I thought the biggest difference was last weekend against Stanford we had a hard time generating offense consistently which I think we accomplished against UCLA today.”
Clapper noted that the UCLA goal tally wasn’t so much a sign of a great offense as it was a couple mental lapses by the Sun Devils in getting out of position but the team played good defense as a whole against the No. 1 team in the nation – even holding UCLA scoreless in the fourth quarter.
E.B. Keeve had another solid game in goal, stopping 13 shots in the contest – six of those coming in the second quarter as she single-handedly kept the game within striking distance for much of the first half.
“It’s hard when a couple goals go in where someone is supposed to be shot blocking and, as a goalie, you start focusing on that corner and the corner you are supposed to be watching becomes open,” Clapper said. “It’s really about working together and the counter attach goals are hard but overall I thought she did a great job.”
UCLA got on the board with two quick goals before Kayla Casas got the ASU offense going with a shot from five meters out to cut the lead to 2-1.
The Bruins would tab another one late in the quarter but Benekou’s shot made it a 3-2 game early in the second quarter. UCLA then went on a 4-0 scoring run before Pardi’s powerplay goal with 4:48 left in the third quarter stop the bleeding.
UCLA went on a 4-1 scoring spree to close out the quarter, however, and put the game out of reach despite the strong fourth quarter by the Devils.
The Devils will close out the 2015 regular season next weekend on the road against No. 4 California on Sunday, April 12 at Noon PT in Berkeley, Calif.
BOX SCORE
ASU- 1-1-2-1=5
UCLA- 3-3-5-0=11
GOALS
ASU- Chiappini 2, Pardi, Casas, Benekou
UCLA- Fattal 3, Zwirmer 2, Williams, Schilling, Grab, Ferraro,Angermund, Donahue
SAVES
ASU- Keeve 13
UCLA- Hill 11