LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The No. 6 Sun Devil Water Polo team dropped their first road MPSF match of the season, as No. 4 UCLA earned a 6-3 victory Saturday evening at Spieker Aquatic Center.
Bente Rogge showed off her outstanding versatility, shining on offense in particular. The sophomore defender notched two of the Sun Devil's three goals, recordeing her team-leading 12th multi-goal performance of the season. Mia Rycraw looked sharp early, keeping the Bruins off the board until a minute into the second period. She kept the Arizona State offense in the match, showing off tremendous athletic ability and fundamentally sound positioning. The redshirt senior goalie finished the contest with 10 saves, representing her eighth double-digit save output of the season. Julia Reyes' second half goal provided a spark to a brief comeback that ultimately fell short.
In a competitive period that offered very few scoring chances, the Sun Devils would find the back of the net first. Bente Rogge launch a rocket of a shot right past the Bruins goalkeeper and under the bar to give the Sun Devils an early 1-0 lead. The remainder of the period would be controlled by Mia Rycraw, as the veteran goalkeeper was spectacular early on. She was in perfect position all period and made several athletic save to keep the Sun Devils in front through the first eight minutes.
Mia Rycraw continued to look sharp in the second period, as she kept the Sun Devils in the match with a few spectacular denials. UCLA would score four unanswered goals in the period, with Rycraw preventing any more scoring with excellent timing and movement. Arizona State's best chance of the period came during a 6-on-5 advantage, as Maud Koopman shot one past the lunging UCLA goaltender, but it would bounce off the right post.
Trailing 4-1 going into the break, Arizona State looked to chip away at the Bruins lead coming out with a strong second half push. After UCLA struck first in the third period, it would not take the Sun Devils long to respond. Julia Reyes converted on a great dish from Bente Rogge with the ASU offense moving the ball crisply. The improved ball movement would once again be on display later in the third period, as Bente Rogge scored on a 6-on-5 advantage with the Sun Devils showing fantastic spacing. A Mia Rycraw acrobatic save with less than a minute remaining kept the Arizona State offense in striking distance with the UCLA lead remaining at 5-3 through three periods.
Up next, the Sun Devils get a weekend off before remaining on the road as they will head to San Jose to take on another MPSF opponent in San Jose State April 13th at 5:00 P.M. MST. The match is scheduled to take place at West Valley College. Stayed tuned to our website and social media platforms throughout the week for more information.
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Goals: Rogge (2), Reyes
Assists: Rogge
Steals: Koopman, Allin, Mihailovic
Saves: Rycraw (10)
Bente Rogge showed off her outstanding versatility, shining on offense in particular. The sophomore defender notched two of the Sun Devil's three goals, recordeing her team-leading 12th multi-goal performance of the season. Mia Rycraw looked sharp early, keeping the Bruins off the board until a minute into the second period. She kept the Arizona State offense in the match, showing off tremendous athletic ability and fundamentally sound positioning. The redshirt senior goalie finished the contest with 10 saves, representing her eighth double-digit save output of the season. Julia Reyes' second half goal provided a spark to a brief comeback that ultimately fell short.
In a competitive period that offered very few scoring chances, the Sun Devils would find the back of the net first. Bente Rogge launch a rocket of a shot right past the Bruins goalkeeper and under the bar to give the Sun Devils an early 1-0 lead. The remainder of the period would be controlled by Mia Rycraw, as the veteran goalkeeper was spectacular early on. She was in perfect position all period and made several athletic save to keep the Sun Devils in front through the first eight minutes.
GOAL!!!
— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) April 1, 2018
Bente Rogge from distance! Sun Devils strike first and lead 1-0!#SunDevilUnity pic.twitter.com/6M54o2TICq
Mia Rycraw continued to look sharp in the second period, as she kept the Sun Devils in the match with a few spectacular denials. UCLA would score four unanswered goals in the period, with Rycraw preventing any more scoring with excellent timing and movement. Arizona State's best chance of the period came during a 6-on-5 advantage, as Maud Koopman shot one past the lunging UCLA goaltender, but it would bounce off the right post.
Trailing 4-1 going into the break, Arizona State looked to chip away at the Bruins lead coming out with a strong second half push. After UCLA struck first in the third period, it would not take the Sun Devils long to respond. Julia Reyes converted on a great dish from Bente Rogge with the ASU offense moving the ball crisply. The improved ball movement would once again be on display later in the third period, as Bente Rogge scored on a 6-on-5 advantage with the Sun Devils showing fantastic spacing. A Mia Rycraw acrobatic save with less than a minute remaining kept the Arizona State offense in striking distance with the UCLA lead remaining at 5-3 through three periods.
Continuing to play at an All-American level, goalie Mia Rycraw was the best defender in the final period for the Sun Devils. She would limit the Bruins to just one goal over the final eight minutes, despite several prime scoring opportunities. The Sun Devil offense managed to manufacture a few offensive threats as they attempted to cut into the lead, but they were unable to convert, falling to UCLA by a final score of 6-3.WOW!!!
— Sun Devil Water Polo (@SunDevilWP) April 1, 2018
Mia Rycraw reaches back and makes an acrobatic save! Sun Devils go to a 6-on-5 advantage trailing 5-2 pic.twitter.com/0mjSEbhUFn
Up next, the Sun Devils get a weekend off before remaining on the road as they will head to San Jose to take on another MPSF opponent in San Jose State April 13th at 5:00 P.M. MST. The match is scheduled to take place at West Valley College. Stayed tuned to our website and social media platforms throughout the week for more information.
Join the conversation all season
Twitter: @SunDevilWP | Facebook: Sun Devil Water Polo | Instagram: @SunDevilWaterPolo
Goals: Rogge (2), Reyes
Assists: Rogge
Steals: Koopman, Allin, Mihailovic
Saves: Rycraw (10)