UCLA rallies past Hawai'i
By James V. Dowd
Special to The Advertiser
Ann Arbor, Mich. — Most everyone expected the top-ranked and undefeated UCLA Bruins to cruise into today's collegiate water polo national championship game, but few foresaw the trouble they would encounter in yesterday's 7-6 semifinal victory over No. 4 Hawai'i.
Yesterday's results Loyola Marymount 16, Wagner 4 Michigan 13, Redlands 7 UCLA 7, Hawai'i 6 Stanford 5, Southern Cal 4 Today's matches (Hawai'i times) Seventh place: Wagner vs. Redlands, 6 a.m. Fifth place: Loyola Marymount vs. Michigan, 7:30 a.m. Third place: Hawai'i vs. Southern Cal, 9 a.m. Championship: UCLA vs. Stanford, 10:30 a.m.
UCLA junior Kristina Kunkel ended Hawai'i's shot at one of the biggest upsets in collegiate water polo history when she fought off two defenders and slipped the go-ahead goal past goalie Meike De Nooy with 1 minute, 43 seconds to go.
Women's championships
After stopping UCLA twice in the final minute of play, Hawai'i's final attempt sailed over the crossbar.
"We gave it our best shot and I am very proud of our team. We're young. We're only learning," Hawai'i coach Michel Roy said.
UCLA (32-0) plays Stanford for the title. Hawai'i (21-10) faces USC for third place.
UCLA freshman Gabrielle Domanic and sophomore Kelly Rulon scored just 46 seconds apart to take a 2-0 lead.
Roy realized it was time for a change in defensive strategy.
"Not many people check tight this year and I found that their weakness would be their center forward," Roy said. "So we went check tight and we got a few quick kick outs and they were up 2-0. Then I changed hoping that they would do better with the motion defense and then we got back in the game 2-2."
The Rainbow Wahine tied the game with goals from freshmen Monika Kruszona and Iefke Van Belkum. Kruszona opened the scoring for Hawai'i, putting in a rebound after Van Belkum hit the cross bar on a breakaway. Each team added a goal a piece before the Rainbow Wahine took at 4-3 lead with nine seconds remaining in the opening period when Hawai'i sophomore Anna Sieprath scored from close range.
In the second period, it was the Rainbow Wahine defense that took over, holding UCLA scoreless. De Nooy made several key saves in the period, but credited the team defense as the key to Hawai'i's 4-3 halftime lead.
"Everybody was working for each other and looking both ways," De Nooy said. "They weren't focusing on one man only, everybody was willing to help each other out, it was a really good team effort."
Said UCLA coach Adam Krikorian: "(The Rainbow Wahine) were tough and they had a good balance and mixed it up."
The Bruins scored three goals in the third period. The first came on a penalty shot by senior Natalie Golda after a foul by Kruszona. After Hawai'i regained a 5-4 lead with a rocket by Van Belkum, UCLA scored twice in the final minute of the third period to take a 6-5 lead into the fourth.
Hawai'i again tied it 6, with just over four minutes to go. Sieprath notched her second goal, sending a shot past UCLA goalie Emily Feher into the upper corner of the cage.
UCLA will play for its third NCAA title in the five-year history of the tournament.
"I think we're definitely a match for them," De Nooy said. "But we didn't make it this time. But next time, there will definitely be a chance."
The Web site ncaasports.com contributed to this report.
