Junior utility Anna Pearson was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
Anna Pearson Named MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week
LOS ANGELES -- Junior utility Anna Pearson was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.
Pearson (Irvine, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS) was at her best when it was needed, leading UCLA to a 16-15 come-from-behind win at No. 6 UC Irvine with a team-high-tying and season-high-tying four goals (on five shots). She added an assist to score five total points and also registered a career-high nine drawn exclusions to go with one steal and one field block. She had a hand in three of the Bruins' four goals in the fourth quarter.
Pearson drew a penalty (her second of the game) that UCLA converted to tie the match at 13-13 at the 7:44 mark of the fourth period. Then she drew an exclusion and scored on the ensuing power play (2:58) to tie the game at 14-14. On the next possession, she recorded a field block and turned it into her fourth goal of the contest on a counter attack to give UCLA its first lead of the game at 15-14 with 2:35 to go. She recorded a steal on the next possession (2:08) to provide a defensive stop. UCLA called timeout and she drew her third exclusion of the fourth (1:42), but the Anteaters got a stop on the power play. UCLA would add an insurance goal to go up 16-14 with 0:38 seconds remaining. UC Irvine scored with seven seconds left to provide the 16-15 final
This is Pearson's fifth career MPSF award and the third time she has been named Player of the Week (Jan. 30, 2024, Jan. 18, 2025), and the second time this season.
