Team USA honors Mathewson, finishes exhibition series unbeaten

Corona del Mar High alumna Maddie Musselman is just 19 years old, but age hasn’t factored into her becoming one of the top women’s water polo players in the world.

Similarly, it never factored into her friendship with Courtney Mathewson, Musselman said Tuesday night.

The U.S. women’s water polo team honored Mathewson, who retired on Dec. 6, during halftime of its exhibition game against China at Foothill High. Mathewson, who played in high school nearby at Canyon, won four straight national championships at UCLA from 2005-08 and was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Musselman and Mathewson, 31, were roommates at several big tournaments, beginning with the 2015 FINA World Championships. And Musselman attends UCLA, where she led the Bruins in scoring last spring as a freshman and helped them reach the national title game.

“It’s been really cool to see our relationship grow over the year that we trained together,” Musselman said. “We kind of talked about it today when we had our team meeting. Not only has she been a huge role model to me, but she’s been a really close friend. I always get the question of how much older she is than me, but it’s pretty cool to see how age doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship. When you’re playing on a team and striving toward a goal, it really doesn’t matter.”

What mattered to Team USA on Tuesday was defense. The U.S. nearly shut out China in the final game of its four-game exhibition series, settling for a 14-1 victory.

Rachel Fattal and Brigitta Games led Team USA with three goals each, but it received contributions from all five players with local ties as well. Musselman had a goal and two assists, while former CdM star Stephania Haralabidis had two assists.

The ex-Laguna Beach High sister tandem of Makenzie and Aria Fischer each scored one goal , while defender Alys Williams, who starred at Edison High, had a steal and a drawn exclusion.

Team USA beat China and the Netherlands twice in the series, but Tuesday’s game was by far the most lopsided. Coach Adam Krikorian said the team set a goal before the game of limiting China to less than four goals.

The goal total was nearly zero in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Ashleigh Johnson made five saves in goal, with four for Amanda Longan and three from Gabby Stone. Deng Zewen prevented the shutout, scoring for China from about five meters with 1:14 remaining in the contest.

“I’m not surprised,” Krikorian said of the strong performance. “This team enjoys the big moment. It was meaningful because of Courtney and what she means for this program, and it was meaningful because of the crowd. We get really excited to play in front of people. The more that’s on the line in that sense, the more excited they are and the better they play.

“I wish we didn’t give up that last one, but you can’t be too picky. Any time you can hold an international team to one goal, it’s a big achievement.”

As for Musselman, she will continue trying to achieve big things. Who stood beside her in the postgame huddle? Mathewson, of course.

“I think she’s had such an impact on not only me, but the sport,” Musselman said of Mathewson, who was the NCAA Player of the Year in 2008. “It’s hard not to want to be just like her. She’s someone that I would love to emulate in a lot of ways.”

Team USA returns to action in April, when it plays in the FINA Intercontinental Tournament in New Zealand.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo