Laguna Beach High School junior Thea Walsh made a save on the opening shot of the shootout, helping the U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team to a 9-7 victory over Australia Saturday in the FINA Women’s Intercontinental Tournament at UC Davis.
The U.S. tied the score, 5-5, on Paige Hauschild’s goal with one minute, 29 seconds left in regulation, completing a comeback from a 4-1 third-quarter deficit. The U.S. made all four of its shots in the shootout to complete the round-robin portion of the six-team tournament 4-0.
Australia was two for four in the shootout, with Hannah Buckling missing its fourth shot.
The U.S. has won 27 consecutive games dating back to 2016.
The U.S. will conclude its first competition of 2017 Sunday by facing Australia in the tournament final. Australia was 4-1 in the round-robin portion, finishing second behind the U.S.
Walsh made five saves in regulation in her third appearance in the tournament. She is among three Orange County high schoolers on the 13-player roster.
Melissa Seidemann, one of two members of the gold-medal winning 2016 Olympic team on the team for the tournament, began the comeback by scoring with 28 seconds left in the third quarter.
The U.S. cut the deficit to 4-3 with 6:43 remaining on Abbi Hill’s goal. Olympic gold medalist Aria Fischer, a senior at Laguna Beach High School, tied the score with 5:50 to play.
Australia regained the lead on Elle Armit’s power-play goal with 4:23 left.
Bayley Weber, a junior at Los Alamitos High School, opened the scoring with a power-play goal 4:26 into the first quarter. Australia tied the score, on Rowie Webster’s goal with three seconds left in the first quarter.
Webster scored both second-quarter goals to give Australia a 3-1 halftime lead. She scored again 2:30 into the third quarter.
Both teams were one for two on the power play.
–City News Service