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Title Back to the Lions
April 26, 2009
Santa Clara, CA - Playing its best top to bottom team effort of the season, the 11th-ranked LMU women's water polo team brought the Western Water Polo Association title back to Los Angeles thanks to an 8-4 win over host Santa Clara in the title game of the WWPA Touranment at Sullivan Aquatic Center on the Santa Clara campus Sunday afternoon. "Santa Clara had a really good game plan and took us out of our shots early," said Head Coach John Loughran. "We continued to pound away and got some seperation late in the third thanks to some really hard swimming. Top to bottom, this was a great team effort. It is great to have the title back to LMU." The Lions win the WWPA title for the seventh time in nine years and improve to 25-7 on the season and 13-0 against the WWPA. Santa Clara, who played in their first ever WWPA title game, finishes 19-16. With the title, the Lions earn the WWPA automatic bid to the NCAA Championship hosted by Maryland on May 8-10. Nicole Hughes, who was named the tournament MVP, led all scorers with four goals. Junior Anne Scott added two. Goalie Eliana Arellano allowed just four goals in the title game win and a combined 10 goals over three games (3.3 GAA per game in the tournament). Hughes was named first-team All-Tournament, along with freshman Casey Flacks. Diana Romero was named to the second team. "Nicole and Casey had non-stop energy the entire tournament and they deserved to be on the all-tournament team. They outworked all of our opponents the entire tournament," said Loughran. "Diana proved that she is one of the best two-meter defenders in the country helping shut down our opponents. Eli played outstanding in goal and is peaking at the perfect time. I am very proud of our team."
The Lions scored the first two goals of the game to take a 2-0 lead. Hughes scored them both and Santa Clara cut into the lead with 1:48 to play to make it 2-1 heading into the second quarter. LMU, who never trailed the entire game, opened the second frame on a goal from Anne Scott. The Broncos countered with a goal from Kendal Hildebrand to make it 3-2 with 6:02 to play. Hughes and Romero then went back-to-back to make it 5-2 with 3:45 to play. Santa Clara would not go away, scoring a big last second goal of the half to make it 5-3 at the break. It was all defense early in the third quarter as both teams drew ejections but could not capitalize. Mary Anne Campos then got the Lions back on the board to make it 6-3 with 3:08 to play. Hughes then gave the Lions a four-goal cushion at 7-3 with 1:41 to play. Santa Clara had one last breath with a goal from Claire Linney to make it 7-4 after three. Scott then iced the game with a goal at the 3:36 mark of the fourth quarter for the final margin. LMU will find out their first-round opponent at the NCAA selection show on Monday, Apr. 27. The 2009 All-Tournament Team: Second-Team |
