STANFORD, Calif. – Makenzie Fischer notched a hat trick and freshman Ryann Neushul scored the game winner to give No. 2 Stanford a 9-8 victory over No. 1 USC in the NCAA final, Sunday, at Avery Aquatics Center.
Stanford (23-2) has won four of the last six NCAA championships and its seventh overall, tying UCLA for the most in the nation. The Cardinal also won it all in 2002, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
Neushul scored the game winner at 4:51 in the fourth quarter – the only goal of the final frame. Makenzie Fischer was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, while redshirt sophomore goalie Emalia Eichelberger recorded nine saves in the cage.
The fourth quarter's only goal, courtesy of Ryann Neushul.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/vYOtjyNded
— Stanford Women's Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) May 12, 2019
Mireia Guiral scored four of the eight goals for the Trojans (28-2). Goalie Amanda Longan finished with nine saves for USC.
Makenzie Fischer netted Stanford's first goal on a penalty shot at 6:06 in the opening quarter. Neushul evened things up, 2-2, at 4:37 in the first frame. Fischer fed the freshman in transition for her first goal of the game.
Makenzie Fischer gave Stanford its first lead of the game at 7:05 in the second quarter. After USC scored two straight to go up 4-3, the Cardinal answered as Aria Fischer got the ball down low and powered one past Longan to knot it at 4-4.
Junior Hannah Shabb put Stanford back in the lead at 3:36 in the second with a behind-the-back, no look shot that skipped past Longan. The teams were tied 5-5 at halftime.
USC took a 6-5 lead to open the third quarter on a goal by Tilly Kearns. Aria Fischer converted on a penalty shot at 6:09 in the third to make it 6-6.
With 3:37 left in the third, Kat Klass scored her 150th career goal with a shot well past the 5-meter mark, which evened it at 7-7.
With 2:30 left in the third, Aria Fischer committed her third exclusion and was ejected from the game. Moments later, USC's Paige Hauschild was also ejected with her third exclusion.
Neushul drew the exclusion on Hauschild and Makenzie Fischer scored on the penalty shot to tie it, 8-8, going into the final period.
Over the last decade, women's water polo has won more NCAA titles (6) than any other program on The Farm. Head coach John Tanner (seven NCAA titles) trails only Lele Forood (nine NCAA titles with women's tennis) among active Stanford head coaches in championships.
????????#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ejPoTklg2X
— Stanford Women's Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) May 12, 2019
No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 Stanford
May 12, 2019 • Stanford, Calif.
STAN 2 – 3 – 3 – 1 = 9
USC 2 – 3 – 3 – 0 = 8
Stanford Goals: Makenzie Fischer 3, Aria Fischer 2, Ryann Neushul 2, Kat Klass 1, Hannah Shabb 1
Stanford Saves: Emalia Eichelberger 9
USC Goals: Mireia Guiral 4, Maud Megens 2, Tilly Kearns 1, Kelsey McIntosh 1
USC Saves: Amanda Longan 9
All-Tournament First Team: Emalia Eichelberger, Stanford, Aria Fischer, Stanford; Makenzie Fischer, Stanford; Paige Hauschild, USC; Maud Megens, USC; Maddie Musselman, UCLA; Ryann Neushul, Stanford.
All-Tournament Second Team: Mireia Guiral, USC; Bronte Halligan, UCLA; Kitty Lynn Joustra, California; Kat Klass, Stanford; Amanda Longan, USC; Denise Mammolito, USC; Emma Wright, California.
Tournament MVP: Makenzie Fischer
Notable:
• Stanford varsity teams have won 146 national championships (72 men, 74 women) and 121 NCAA championships (65 men, 56 women).
• Stanford has won at least one NCAA championship during each of the last 43 years, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign.
• Stanford has won four NCAA championships in 2018-19, also claiming titles in women's volleyball, women's swimming and diving, and men's gymnastics.
• Since 2000, Stanford has captured 45 NCAA crowns and 59 national team championships overall.
• Of Stanford's 121 NCAA championships, 32 have been won in the fall, 28 in the winter and 61 in the spring.
• Stanford's six NCAA titles in 1996-97 remains the national benchmark for an academic year.