By Jeff Eisenberg
Daily Bruin Staff Writer
[email protected]
PALO ALTO “”mdash; Less than two months ago, the UCLA
women’s water polo team put up a spirited fight before
falling to Stanford in the NCAA Championship game.
Sunday evening, members of both squads teamed with the best
female players in the nation to lead the United States to an 8-6
victory over Canada in the final of the 2002 Holiday Cup
Women’s International Water Polo Tournament.
The Americans outplayed the physical Canadians in front of the
net and never trailed in the game. Coralie Simmons tallied four
goals in the finals, while tournament MVP Brenda Villa had three,
including the game winner, a deft shot from about eight meters in
front of the net.
“We came out fired up,” said UCLA senior Robin
Beauregard, who had four shots and two assists on the night.
“The last couple times we played Canada we came out a little
tentative. We’ve been battling them ever since I can
remember. Anytime we play them it’s a good opportunity for us
to learn from them the best we can.”
The victory marked the third straight year that the United
States has won the Holiday Cup, the largest annual water polo
tournament in the nation.
Beauregard, and UCLA teammates Amber Stachowski and Thalia
Munro, each saw significant action in the championship game, with
each of them in the lineup at the same time at one point in the
third quarter. The trio of Bruins felt more comfortable having each
other as teammates again, albeit at the international level.
“I know in warm-ups it was really nice to look across the
pool at Robin,” said Munro, a sophomore. “It made me
calm.”
The squad opened the tournament with a 2-2 tie against Canada on
July 4th before whipping Brazil the following night 14-2. Needing a
victory to advance to the championship game, the Americans scored
three times in the first quarter and cruised past Japan 6-3.
“The Japanese team is really quick,” said Munro.
“They drive a lot and set a lot of picks so we had to change
our defense a little bit and not be as aggressive as we normally
would.”
An Honorable Mention All-American at UCLA last season, Munro
scored the Americans’ final goal against Japan in the fourth
quarter when she beat Japanese goalkeeper Akiko Inagaki with a hard
shot that found the corner of the net.
“We had been practicing the counterattack a lot because
that is a big part of our offense,” Munro said.
Many of the collegians on the team have learned to adapt to the
brutality of the international game.
“International water polo is a lot more physical and a lot
faster,” said Beauregard, a veteran of international
competition. “Everyone out here has been playing for a long
time and is the best in their country at the sport. There are no
weak links on any team.”
Although the purpose of this tournament was mostly preparation
for upcoming tournaments in Australia and Italy, it was significant
for the Americans to win on their home soil over July 4th
weekend.
“Every time I look up at the flag with the national anthem
playing it is a special moment,” said Munro.
“(Representing your country) is something that most people
don’t get to do.”