The USA Women’s National Water Polo team captured its fifth straight Pan American Games title, defeating Canada 24-4 Saturday morning.
The victory gives the USA club 59 straight wins and they were able to dominate Saturday despite losing Rachel Fattal, of Seal Beach, and Alys Williams, to illness before the match.
The match also marked the return of Santa Barbara native Paige Hauschild, who was originally named to the Pan Am roster but then replaced after suffering an injury in a balcony collapse last month in South Korea.
Hauschild was activated before the match, and scored one goal in more than 15 minutes of action.
Isla Vista natives Jamie and Kiley Neushul also scored goals in the win.
Mackenzie Fischer, of Laguna Beach, scored a game-high six goals. Maggie Steffens, of Danville, and Stephania Haralabidis, of Greece, scored four goals and Ashleigh Johnson secured 17 saves.
Steffens opened the scoring with two early goals before Hauschild answered a Canada score to make it 3-1 with 3:52 in the first period. The team took a 6-1 lead into the second quarter and jumped ahead 13-3 at the half.
The women’s team pounced on their opponents in the third, outscoring Canada 10-1. Haralabidis, Maddie Musselmann and Makenzie Fischer all scored in the first two minutes of the quarter to make it 16-4, and the team took a 23-4 lead into the fourth.
Kiley Neushul scored the lone goal in the fourth quarter with less than three minutes to play.
Team USA went 8-for-11 on power plays and 2-2 on penalties. Canada went 1-6 on power plays and 1-1 on penalties.
Team USA finished 6-0 in Peru, outscoring opponents by a margin of 142-24.
