After 398 days without a win against archrival No. 1 USC (20-1), No. 2 women’s water polo (15-1) stopped by Los Angeles on Saturday to break the Trojans’ 37-game win streak. Stanford triumphed 9-8, shutting USC out in overtime.
Senior Trojan goalkeeper Amanda Longan made 15 saves in USC’s first home loss since Stanford ended the Trojans’ NCAA-record-setting 52-game winning streak on April 8, 2017.
Despite Longan’s efforts, the Cardinal rallied in the fourth quarter to turn a 4-7 deficit into a 8-7 lead, ultimately outshooting USC 33-31.
Junior USC utility player Denise Mammolito tied the game at 8-8 with 38 seconds left in regulation, but it was too late for the Trojans to regain lost momentum. Junior Cardinal driver Makenzie Fischer notched a hat trick with the go-ahead goal halfway through the first overtime quarter, giving Stanford a 9-8 lead it would hold for the rest of the game.
Staging heroics of her own for the Cardinal, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Emalia Eichelberger recorded 11 saves, one of which came against a third-quarter penalty shot, and tossed the long assist to Fischer that set up the game-winning goal.
The Cardinal squad is on a five-game win streak, with its only loss of the season coming against — of course — USC, on Feb. 24. In fact, Stanford had suffered four straight losses to the Trojans, dating back to the 2018 season.
Saturday’s win is the biggest of the regular season, but Stanford has its sights set much higher.
In particular, the Cardinal is looking to top USC for the most NCAA titles of the 2010s, with six. As of now, Stanford has won five titles to USC’s four this decade, and the Trojans undoubtedly hope to even the score. Raising the stakes even higher, this year’s NCAA Championship will be held at Stanford.
Aside from its two games against USC, Stanford is defeating opponents by an average of 12.5 goals this season. The Cardinal will look to return to these dominating ways when they return to the waves of the Avery Aquatic Center against No. 3 UCLA (20-3) at 3 p.m. on April 6.
Stanford beat UCLA 10-4 in Irvine last month. In April, and in the Cardinal’s pool, it’s personal.
Contact Holden Foreman at hs4man21 ‘at’ stanford.edu.