LA VERNE, Calif. — The La Verne women's water polo team used a 5-0 fourth quarter run to beat Azusa Pacific 9-8 on Tuesday at Las Flores Park.
Stephanie Rosero scored three goals during the big run and finished with a game-high six. She added three steals and dished out one assist.
The Leopards trailed 7-4 going into the final frame. Rosero got the run started with a goal just 20 seconds into the fourth period, Candice Vorbeck scored on a nifty backhander and Jasmine Bustamane added a tally to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:20 left to go. Rosero then gave the Leopards their first lead since the first quarter and scored the game-winning goal on counterattack off an assist from Guarina Garcia.
Garcia didn't get on the board today but gave out four assists and recorded five steals. Vorbeck finished with two goals and three assists.
"We needed to get some stops and we needed our role players to score," La Verne co-head coach Maosn Cox said. "When [Guarina] is not making her shots and Stephanie has a slow start to the game, we need other players to step up. If this team gets everybody involved, we are tough to beat."
The Leopards beat the Cougars on last Friday 9-6 largely on the strength of their powerplay on which they went 6-of-8, but managed to win without it today. La Verne went 0-for-7 on man-up chances, but executed on offense and more importantly, blanked the Cougars on their 6-on-5 opportunities.
The Leopards will travel to Tempe, Ariz., this weekend for the Arizona State Invitational.