Courtesy: USC Athletics
LOS ANGELES – The No. 1 USC women’s water polo team closed out the weekend’s home stand and senior day with a 17-8 win over No. 13 San Jose State on Sunday. Eight different Trojans scored in the conference win — including five from Emily Ausmus — to bring USC to 26-1 overall and 5-0 in MPSF play.
Ausmus kicked off scoring for the Trojans with a Tilly Kearns-earned penalty conversion. The Spartans answered back with two goals of their own, while Morgan Netherton knotted things up at 2-2 with 1:45 left in the first. Another SJSU goal and Alma Yaacobi’s first scratch of the day would leave things tied 3-3 going into the second frame.
After the stalemate, Meghan McAninch would build out the Trojans’ lead with a second-quarter hat trick. Ausmus and Yaacobi would add to the tally with their second goals of the game to bring USC up three going into the second half.
The Trojans outscored the Spartans 6-1 in the third frame, kickstarted by a Netherton power play conversion. Ausmus added two more on the counter attack, while Rachel Gazzaniga, Izze Zimmerman and Ava Stryker brought USC up 14-6 going into the final eight minutes. SJSU would add two goals in the last quarter, but Ausmus’s fifth goal of the game and senior strikes from Zimmerman and Kearns sealed the deal at 17-8.
NEXT:
USC wraps the regular season across town next week, paying a visit to UCLA for a 1 p.m. meeting on Saturday (April 19) in Westwood.
NOTABLE:
– With five goals today, FR Emily Ausmus has now scored in all 27 games this season, and has recorded multiple-goal games in 26 of USC’s 27 games this season.
– This is Ausmus’s eighth game this season scoring five or more goals this season.
– SO Ava Stryker has scored in 26 of USC’s 27 games this season, with one goal today.
– Stryker recorded her 110th career goal.
#1 USC 17, #13 San José State 8
Sunday, April 13 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center
USC 3 – 5 – 6 – 3 – 17
SJSU 3 – 2 – 1 – 2 = 8
SCORING:
USC — Emily Ausmus 5, Meghan McAninch 3, Morgan Netherton 2, Izze Zimmerman 2, Alma Yaacobi 2, Rachel Gazzaniga, Tilly Kearns, Ava Stryker.
SJSU — Rose Jensen 5, Jennine Osorio, Darcy Spark, Nynke Willemsen.
SAVES: Laine Hourigan (USC) [1st period] 1, Jada Ward (USC) [2nd period] 1, Anna Reed (USC) [3rd period] 2, Lauren Schneider (USC) [4th period] 2; Tatianna Raffin (SJSU) 6.
