Top-Ranked UCLA Opens 2025 with Two Wins
January 25, 2025 | Women's Water Polo
BERKELEY, Calif. – No. 1 UCLA (2-0, 0-0 MPSF) opened the 2025 season with a pair of wins over ranked teams at the California Cup at Spieker Aquatics Complex on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins opened with a 17-8 win over No. 15 UC Davis (3-2) in the first game and then ended day one with a 12-7 win over No. 8 Long Beach State (2-2). UCLA extended its winning streak to 28 straight games and improved to 23-1 all-time against the Aggies and 27-0 against the Beach in the series history.
Nine different Bruins scored against the Aggies, paced by junior transfer Bia Mantellato (Hawai'i), who scored a career-high-tying seven goals in her Bruin debut. The seven goals are the most ever in a season opener and the most by a Bruin in a debut game since Maddie Musselman scored five goals in her collegiate opener, a 20-1 win over San Jose State on Jan. 14, 2017. The seven goals were also the most scored by a Bruin since Abbi Hill put up seven in her freshman season in a 16-6 win over Wagner on Jan. 26, 2020. Mantellato also had an assist to finish the game with eight points and drew two exclusions and had a steal against the Aggies.
UCLA also got a hat trick from junior Anna Pearson, who drew a game-high five exclusions and added a steal.
Sophomore Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and played the first three quarters, tallying six saves, one steal, and scoring one goal, while allowing six goals. Sophomore Joey Niz played the entire fourth quarter, making five stops while surrendering two goals.
UC Davis scored the first two goals of the game, but the Bruins posted four unanswered to take control. The Bruins also led 7-5 at halftime before putting the game away in the third period, winning it 6-1 to take a 13-6 lead into the fourth.
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 15 UC Davis | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 17 |
6x5 - UCLA - 4/10 - UCD - 4/9
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - UCD - 1/2
UCD Goals: Madison Sparre 3, Sadie Henry 2, Sam Yoo 1, Gianna Nocetti 1, Ali Giusti 1
UCD Saves: Lucy Holland 5, Eva Stein 4
UCLA Goals: Bia Mantellato 7, Anna Pearson 3, Lauren Steele 1, Elektra Urbatsch 1, Natasha Kieckhafer 1, Sienna Green 1, Jojo Walters 1, Jenna Human 1, Nicole Struss 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 6, Joey Niz 5
Seven different Bruins scored in the win over LBSU, led by a hat trick from redshirt junior Emma Lineback. Lineback also dished out three assists to finish with a game-high six points. Juniors Taylor Smith, Mantellato, and Pearson each added two scores for the Bruins.
Steele got the start again and went the distance, tallying 12 saves and two steals while allowing eight goals.
Just like the game against the Aggies, the Bruins fell behind 2-0 to the Beach before scoring three straight to take control. A dominant 4-1 period in the second saw the Bruins take a 7-4 lead into the break. UCLA would win the second half, 5-3, to provide the 12-7 final.
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 8 LBSU | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
6x5 - UCLA - 4/10 - LBSU - 4/9
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - LBSU - 1/2
LBSU Goals: Rita Gurri Capel 2, Martina Cardona 2, Gaby Patenaude 1, Amanda Price 1, Chiara Amoroso 1
LBSU Saves: Lucy Holland 5, Eva Stein 4
UCLA Goals: Emma Lineback 3, Bia Mantellato 2, Anna Pearson 2, Taylor Smith 2, Natasha Kieckhafer 1, Jenna Human 1, Tali Stryker 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 12
UP NEXT:
Sunday, Jan. 26 (California Cup – Spieker Aquatics Complex – Berkeley, Calif.)
11:00 AM PT – No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 2 Stanford (EXHIBITION) | WATCH
4:00 PM PT – No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 9 Fresno State | LIVE STATS | WATCH
