Stanford advanced to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship final after defeating UCLA with a golden goal on Apr. 11 at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, California.
The match determines which team will compete for the MPSF title, an important championship in collegiate women’s water polo. Stanford is aiming for its ninth overall conference title and its fourth in five seasons.
Redshirt junior Juliette Dhalluin scored the decisive penalty shot during the golden goal period, securing Stanford’s place in the final. Dhalluin had missed a penalty attempt late in regulation but finished as Stanford’s top scorer with four goals. Goalkeeper Christine Carpenter contributed nine saves during the match.
The game began defensively, with Serena Browne opening scoring for Stanford followed by Jenna Flynn’s power-play goal. Freshman Lucy Haaland-Ford added two consecutive goals, ending the first quarter with a two-point lead for Stanford and finishing with a hat trick overall. At halftime, Stanford led 6-5 before UCLA took a brief lead entering the fourth quarter. Dhalluin scored twice more to tie up regulation time and force overtime.
Neither team managed to score during overtime periods until Dhalluin converted her penalty shot in sudden death to win the game for Stanford. The Cardinal will now face No. 1 seed USC on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., seeking another conference championship.
