TOURNAMENT CENTRAL • BOX SCORE • PHOTOS
LOS ANGELES -- The seventh-ranked University of the Pacific claimed back-to-back Golden Coast Conferfence Tournament Championships thanks to a 10-6 win over 15th-ranked LMU in the title game of the 2018 GCC Women's Water Polo Championships Sunday afternoon at the Burns Aquatics Center.
The Tigers (18-7) had a balanced attack led by Rachel Krieger (SR/Regina, Sask., Canada)'s three goals. Karolina Hlavata (SR/Strakonics, Czech Rep.), Kyra Christmas (SO/Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and Mariana Duarte (SO/Sao Paulo, Brazil) all had a pair of goals each. Goalie Alexis Hollinrake (SR/Redlands, CA) had 12 saves and finished allowing just six goals on 28 LMU shots. The Lions (18-15) were led by Hana Vilanova (JR/Barcelona, Spain)'s two goals.
After Vilanova scored the first goal of the game to give the Lions 1-0 lead, the TIgers scored the next four goals to take a 4-1 lead with 7:13 to play in the second quarter.
From there, the TIgers would keep LMU at arms length with the lead never going below two goals.
Katie Hungerford (JR/Santa Ana, CA) make is 4-2 only to have Krieger score on the next podsession to make it 5-2 with 6:25 to play in the half. The third quarter started the same way. LMU cut it to a pair, 5-3, on a Kiana Harpstrite (SR/Kailua, HI) goal only to have Hlavata answer on the next possession to put the lead back to three.
The teams traded goals twice more as LMU's Daniela Hernandez (SR/Commerce, CA) made it 7-5 with 6:58 to play. This time the Tigers socred back-to-back goals, with Krieger scoring them both, to put the title with in reach. Abbey Grosse (SO/Perth, Australia) made it 9-6 with 4:49 to play only to have Duarte answer for the final margin.
Christmas was named tournament MVP and was joined on the GCC All-Tournament team by Duarte and Viktoria Szmodics (JR/Gelsesziget, Hungary). LMU's Vilanova and Claire Wright (SR/Lindsay, Ontario, Canada) were also on the team. For the complete all-tournament team, visit the AWARDS page.
Pacific will represent the Golden Coast Conference at the 2018 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships beginning on May 5.