LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Kylie Walker scored four times to pick-up Player of the Game notice as Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 1-ranked the University of California cooled off the Sun Devils of Southwest Division Champion/No. 3 Arizona State University, 9-5, at the University of California-Los Angeles’ Spieker Aquatics Center during the 2023 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship third place game.
The 2015 and 2022 National Champion, California adds another Top Five finish to a record that includes first (2015, 2012), fifth (2014) and 11th (2013) place marks in four prior trips to the championship event.
Arizona State places fourth in the final standings and adds to a legacy that includes four prior Top 10 marks (2014, fourth / 2011, 2012, 2022 – ninth).
Playing in the wrong cap colors as required by the championship bracket, the teams struggled to get going early in the contest.
ASU’s Gabriela Pellegrini opened the scoring with 4:45 left in the first quarter, but a trio of tallies by Livy Selden (3:20, 38 seconds) and Kiana Lee (1:15) put the Golden Bears in front to stay at 3-1 by the close of the first seven minutes.
Rachel McCarty (3:13) and Kylie Walker (1:07) expanded the difference to 5-1 in the second quarter prior to Riley Means dumping in a shot with 39 ticks on the clock to close the Sun Devils within 5-2 entering halftime.
Elizabeth White chipped another score off Cal’s lead at the 4:58 mark of the third quarter, but Walker responded with natural (3:59) and penalty shot (2:51) tallies to return the Golden Bears’ lead to four at 7-3.
Arizona State refused to go away, however, as Fiona Watkins (2:12) and Means (1:21, man-up) fired in shots to inch the Sun Devils within striking distance at 7-5 by the conclusion of the third quarter.
California’s defense stiffened and the duo of Walker (5:54) and McCarty (5:00) did the rest with a pair of markers to allow the Golden Bears to escape with a 9-5 win and return home to Berkeley, Calif., with the third place plaque.
For Arizona State, Means managed a pair with White, Watkins and Pellegrini all tacking on single points. Goalkeeper Kristi Spieleder turned aside eight shots in cage.
Walker (four), McCarty (two) and Selden (two) combined for eight of Cal’s nine goals with Lee racking up a single strike. Goalkeeper Georgia Stebbins made four saves to earn the win.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 1 University of California |
3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 9 |
| No. 3 Arizona State University | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | 5 |
| ASU Goals: | Riley Means (2); Elizabeth White; Fiona Watkins; Gabriela Pellegrini | |||||
| California Goals: | Kylie Walker (4); Rachel McCarty (2); Livy Selden (2); Kiana Lee | |||||
| Saves: | ASU – Kristi Spieleder (8) ; California – Georgia Stebbins (4) | |||||
| Exclusions: | ASU – 4 ; California – 2 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | ASU – 1-for-2 ; California – 1-for-4 | |||||
| Sprints: | ASU – 2-for-4 (2nd, 4th); California – 2-for-4 (1st. 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | ASU – None ; California – None | |||||
| Officials: | Mike McMahon, Aaron Springer | |||||
The University of California’s Juju Clark (#19) releases the ball as Arizona State University’s Anna Bethke (#10) defends
Arizona State University’s Riley Means (#18) scopes an opening as the University of California’s Rachel McCarty (#7) closes in
2023 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship Third Place – University of California
