LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The No. 11-ranked Harvard University women’s water polo team suffered just its second loss of the season as the Crimson dropped a 15-4 contest at No. 2 the University of California-Los Angeles.
Harvard – which falls to 23-2 with a prior 14-13 loss to No. 10 the University of Michigan – fell behind early in the first quarter and was unable to catch up against the host Bruins.
UCLA established a lead in the first quarter by going on a 5-0 scoring run in the opening minutes. Maya O’Dea stopped the streak with a goal that was assisted by Heidi Heffelfinger. Harvard had two more shots in the quarter that did not find the net. UCLA added a pair of goals in remainder of the first quarter to take a 7-1 lead.
NIki Piovan scored a pair of exclusion goals in the second quarter to aid the Crimson effort, but UCLA responded with three goals of its own to take a 10-3 lead into the halftime break.
Orli Cooper made two saves and Harvard forced two turnovers – one of which was a steal by Piovan – to hold UCLA to just one goal in the third quarter. Piovan completed a hat-trick in the frame to make the score 11-4 after 24 minutes of action.
The Bruins punched in four more goals in the final quarter to swim away with an 11-goal victory over the Crimson.
Piovan scored three of Harvard’s goals on just five shots and led the team with three steals. O’Dea recorded two assists, while Cooper posted five saves.
Information courtesy Harvard University Athletics Communications
