USC Women’s Water Polo Falls In NCAA Final To Top-Seeded Stanford
Trojans take an 11-7 loss to the Cardinal to finish out the season with a 29-5 overall record.
INDIANAPOLIS — The No. 3 seed USC women's water polo team put forth a powerful first half against top-seeded Stanford before the second stretch turned to the Cardinal's favor, as the Trojans wound up with an 11-7 loss in today's NCAA championship game at IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind. Second-half exclusions put USC in a tough spot while Stanford capitalized and took its first lead and stayed out ahead ahead in the final 15 minutes of play. USC wraps the season with a 29-5 overall record.
At the close of the tournament, USC's Rachel Gazzaniga and Tilly Kearns earned spots on the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, with Ava Stryker and Anna Reed named to the All-Tournament Second Team.
USC's defense was stalwart in the first frame, with only a single Stanford 6-on-5 score sneaking through — and only after USC had taken a 2-0 lead on a big opening goal from Meghan McAninch and a strike on a power play from Ava Stryker. After the Cardinal got one back, USC responded with a pair of steals, converting on a counterattack feed from Anna Reed to Emily Ausmus to go up 3-1. The Trojan defense squashed Stanford's next 6-on-5 with a pair of Reed saves to bring up the second frame. The Cardinal cropped down USC's lead to one with a score out of set. At the 5-minute mark, senior Isabel Zimmerman zipped in a 6-on-5 finish for the Trojans to make it a 4-2 lead, although Stanford would be awarded a 5-meter penalty shot on the other end to make it 4-3. A freshman connection between Ava Knepper and Alma Yaacobi saw USC move ahead 5-3, and then it was a one-goal game once more when Stanford finished off another power play. The Cardinal got a lob to go and then a late strike that answered a Tilly Kearns ripper out of set, leaving it locked up at 6-6 for halftime.
Early in the third, USC had two players excluded on the same Stanford possession, gifting the Cardinal a 6-on-4 advantage that it capitalized on to take is first lead of the game, up 7-6. A defensive stalemate ensued, thanks in part to a couple big Reed stops against two more Stanford power plays. Two minutes into the fourth, Stanford found another power play finish to go up 8-6. Reed silenced two more Stanford attempts next, but the Cardinal broke through with 3:06 to go to lead it 9-6. McAninch nabbed a steal for the Trojan cause, then converted on a feed from Maggie Johnson to make it a two-goal margin at 9-7 with 1:56 on the clock. Emily Ausmus picked off a Stanford pass next and would earn an exclusion to set up her Trojans for a 6-on-5, but the opportunity went awry. Stanford was awarded a 5-meter penalty soon after — its second of the game — and again found the back of the net to leave USC behind 10-7 with 56 seconds left. Back with the ball in the final moments, the Cardinal opted to go for the goal on an open net rather than cede possession, and the game wrapped as an 11-7 scoreline in Stanford's favor. USC's Morgan Netherton was dealt her third exclusion of the game during the third quarter, and Kearns was handed her third early in the fourth.
NOTABLE:
- With 11 saves, RS FR goalie Anna Reed recorded a new career high.
- With a goal today, SR Tilly Kearns scored her 100th goal of this season, tying the No. 3 all-time single-season mark at USC.
- Kearns finishes her USC career ranked No. 3 all-time in scoring at USC with 262 career goals in four seasons of work as a Trojan.
- With a goal today, FR Emily Ausmus scored in all 34 games this season.
- Ausmus also extended her USC single-season scoring record to 114.
- With a goals today, SO Ava Stryker has scored 72 goals this season — ninth most in a single season by a Trojan.
- Stryker now has scored 121 career goals — ranking her No. 30 all-time in scoring at USC.
- USC is now 43-16 all-time in NCAA Tournament competition in its 21 appearances.
- USC was playing in the NCAA final for the 14th time in program history.
- USC is now 6-8 in NCAA finals.
2025 NCAA TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP
[1] Stanford 11, [3] USC 7
May 11, 2025 | IU Natatorium (Indianapolis, Ind.)
USC 3 - 3 - 0 - 1 = 7
STAN 1 - 5 - 1 - 4 = 11
SCORING:
USC — Meghan McAninch 2, Ava Stryker, Emily Ausmus, Isabel Zimmerman, Alma Yaacobi, Tilly Kearns.
STAN — Juliette Dhalluin 3, Kamryn Barone 2, Jenna Flynn 2, Serena Browne 2, Jewel Roemer, Ryann Neushul.
SAVES: Anna Reed (USC) 11, Christine Carpenter (STAN) 9.
At the close of the tournament, USC's Rachel Gazzaniga and Tilly Kearns earned spots on the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, with Ava Stryker and Anna Reed named to the All-Tournament Second Team.
USC's defense was stalwart in the first frame, with only a single Stanford 6-on-5 score sneaking through — and only after USC had taken a 2-0 lead on a big opening goal from Meghan McAninch and a strike on a power play from Ava Stryker. After the Cardinal got one back, USC responded with a pair of steals, converting on a counterattack feed from Anna Reed to Emily Ausmus to go up 3-1. The Trojan defense squashed Stanford's next 6-on-5 with a pair of Reed saves to bring up the second frame. The Cardinal cropped down USC's lead to one with a score out of set. At the 5-minute mark, senior Isabel Zimmerman zipped in a 6-on-5 finish for the Trojans to make it a 4-2 lead, although Stanford would be awarded a 5-meter penalty shot on the other end to make it 4-3. A freshman connection between Ava Knepper and Alma Yaacobi saw USC move ahead 5-3, and then it was a one-goal game once more when Stanford finished off another power play. The Cardinal got a lob to go and then a late strike that answered a Tilly Kearns ripper out of set, leaving it locked up at 6-6 for halftime.
Early in the third, USC had two players excluded on the same Stanford possession, gifting the Cardinal a 6-on-4 advantage that it capitalized on to take is first lead of the game, up 7-6. A defensive stalemate ensued, thanks in part to a couple big Reed stops against two more Stanford power plays. Two minutes into the fourth, Stanford found another power play finish to go up 8-6. Reed silenced two more Stanford attempts next, but the Cardinal broke through with 3:06 to go to lead it 9-6. McAninch nabbed a steal for the Trojan cause, then converted on a feed from Maggie Johnson to make it a two-goal margin at 9-7 with 1:56 on the clock. Emily Ausmus picked off a Stanford pass next and would earn an exclusion to set up her Trojans for a 6-on-5, but the opportunity went awry. Stanford was awarded a 5-meter penalty soon after — its second of the game — and again found the back of the net to leave USC behind 10-7 with 56 seconds left. Back with the ball in the final moments, the Cardinal opted to go for the goal on an open net rather than cede possession, and the game wrapped as an 11-7 scoreline in Stanford's favor. USC's Morgan Netherton was dealt her third exclusion of the game during the third quarter, and Kearns was handed her third early in the fourth.
NOTABLE:
- With 11 saves, RS FR goalie Anna Reed recorded a new career high.
- With a goal today, SR Tilly Kearns scored her 100th goal of this season, tying the No. 3 all-time single-season mark at USC.
- Kearns finishes her USC career ranked No. 3 all-time in scoring at USC with 262 career goals in four seasons of work as a Trojan.
- With a goal today, FR Emily Ausmus scored in all 34 games this season.
- Ausmus also extended her USC single-season scoring record to 114.
- With a goals today, SO Ava Stryker has scored 72 goals this season — ninth most in a single season by a Trojan.
- Stryker now has scored 121 career goals — ranking her No. 30 all-time in scoring at USC.
- USC is now 43-16 all-time in NCAA Tournament competition in its 21 appearances.
- USC was playing in the NCAA final for the 14th time in program history.
- USC is now 6-8 in NCAA finals.
2025 NCAA TOURNAMENT
CHAMPIONSHIP
[1] Stanford 11, [3] USC 7
May 11, 2025 | IU Natatorium (Indianapolis, Ind.)
USC 3 - 3 - 0 - 1 = 7
STAN 1 - 5 - 1 - 4 = 11
SCORING:
USC — Meghan McAninch 2, Ava Stryker, Emily Ausmus, Isabel Zimmerman, Alma Yaacobi, Tilly Kearns.
STAN — Juliette Dhalluin 3, Kamryn Barone 2, Jenna Flynn 2, Serena Browne 2, Jewel Roemer, Ryann Neushul.
SAVES: Anna Reed (USC) 11, Christine Carpenter (STAN) 9.
