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Monday, April 29, 1996

Bruins end 24-game win streak with loss in tournament finalBy Mark J. Dittmer

Daily Bruin Contributor

Sunday morning, the UCLA women's water polo team was undefeated, in the middle of a 24-game winning streak. But much more prominent in the minds of the Bruins is the 8-7 loss to California that tarnished their record Sunday afternoon.

With 1:12 left in the Western Regional Tournament's championship match, Cal's Erin Kelley broke a 7-7 tie with her first goal of the day. With 41 seconds left, Alicia Razzari was ejected, giving the Bruins' a 6-on-5 opportunity, at which time they called timeout.

UCLA held on to the ball for 25 seconds looking for the tying shot, but a turnover with 15 seconds left ended any hope for a comeback.

When it was all over, there was a definite feeling that the Bruins ­ many of whom had never lost a college game ­ weren't quite sure how to react. After 24 straight wins, a loss has a way of taking a team by surprise.

On the one hand, UCLA head coach Guy Baker was prepared for the defeat ­ not that he was expecting it, but he knew what to think afterwards.

"I'm not disappointed. We played a good game, but Cal just played better, especially in 6-on-5 opportunities," he said. "I think that there's a lot that can be learned from it. There's nothing wrong with a loss here and there."

That philosophy rubbed off on the players, but they didn't embrace it quite so easily. They were disappointed, and it showed in the red eyes and hurt faces of many of the players.

"We're keeping our chins up," Katie Tenenbaum said. "I'm not sure if this is going to help us in the long run, but it might."

While the Bruins were experiencing that sinking feeling of their first loss, the Bears began to celebrate the biggest win of their season by throwing one of their assistant coaches into the pool.

Despite playing two close games with UCLA in the past, the Bears (28-5) went into the game as the underdog.

"We were just keeping our fingers crossed for a win," said Cal goalie Evi Schueller.

After trailing at halftime, UCLA came back to take a 5-4 lead in the middle of the third quarter. But Cal responded with two goals of its own, and the two teams exchanged goals in a fourth quarter to keep the crowd in suspense.

The Bruins looked unbeatable as they reached the finals, winning easily over USC, UC Irvine, UC Davis and Stanford. In the semifinal game against Stanford, UCLA scored early and quickly on a tough Stanford defense, finishing with a 7-1 victory.

But the offense seemed set back against Cal, especially in 6-on-5 opportunities, where the Bruins went 2-for-8. The Bruins' last possession was a short version of the frustration they dealt with throughout the game in 6-on-5 opportunities.

PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin

Goalie Nicolle Payne and the UCLA women's water polo team saw their 24-game win streak come to an end against Cal on Sunday.