GWANGJU, South Korea – July 3, 2015 – Representing the United States in South Korea, the Stanford women’s water polo team opened up the 2015 World University Games with a 7-7 tie against Australia on Friday morning.

Kat Klass and Jamie Neushul each scored three times for Team USA, while Shannon Cleary tallied a second-quarter score of her own.

Klass helped the Americans to a strong start by scoring its first three goals and backed up by Cleary’s strike with under a minute to go until halftime, the United States held a 4-3 edge at the break.

Stymied in the third quarter and tied 4-4 with Australia heading into the fourth, Jamie Neushul took over for Team USA in the final frame. The 2015 ACWPC All-America honorable mention rattled the cage three times in the period. Australia took its first lead of the game, 5-4, with an exclusion goal at 6:34 before Neushul reeled off three in a row.

She scored even-strength tallies at 5:41, 5:01 and 4:19 to give her country its first two-goal advantage of the morning. The first came on an assist from Klass, the second off a Neushul steal and the final on the counter with a nice feed from Gabby Stone.

Australia pulled closer with a goal at 2:58 and ultimately tied the game with a man-up goal from Madeleine Steere with just 30 seconds remaining.

 Neushul added three steals while Dani Jackovich had a pair. Gabby Stone played the entire game in the cage, made eight saves on 15 attempts and had five steals of her own.

The United States and Australia each earned one point for the tie. Team USA returns to action on Sunday (July 5) at 5:00 p.m. local time (1:00 a.m. on July 5, Pacific) when it faces France in Group B action. France lost to Italy, 5-2, to begin its tournament on Friday.

 Stanford vs. Australia
July 3, 2015 • Gwangju, South Korea
AUS 1 – 2 – 1 – 3 = 7
STAN 1 – 3 – 0– 3 = 7

 Australia Goals: Isobel Bishop 2, Madeleine Steere 2, Pascalle Casey, Fiona Walsh, Jessica Zimmerman

Australia Saves: Lilian Hedges 8

Stanford Goals: Kat Klass 3, Jamie Neushul 3, Shannon Cleary

Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 8