UPCOMING MATCHES
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#14 UC Davis Aggies at #6 UC Irvine Anteaters
Date / Time: Sat. Feb. 23, 2013 / 12:45 PM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Aquatics Complex
UCI Invitational (Irvine, Calif.)
Date: Sat. Feb. 23 - Sun. Feb. 24
EXCLUSIONS AND INCLUSIONS
UCI's defense allowed its first 10-goal output of the season in a 14-10 win over No. 13 UCSB. UCI averages 5.7 goals allowed per match so far in 2013.
UCI's overtime match was its first since 2011 when it lost 6-5 to Long Beach State. It was the 'Eaters' first sudden death overtime since the 2010 UCI Invitational when it lost 11-10 in two SD OTs to LMU. UCI's last overtime win came early in 2010 defeating UCSB 7-6.
UCI outscored its opponents 12-2 in the second period during the Triton Invite and followed that up with a 2-1 performance at UCLA. On the year, UCI has a 31-10 edge in the second period over its opponents.
Allowed No. 1 Stanford to score just nine goals. Stanford averaged over 18 goals per match in its other matches over the opening weekend.
The 'Eaters have fallen by one goal to No. 5 Arizona State twice now including a triple-overtime thriller. The Sun Devils are averaging a margin of victory of 6.5 in its other seven wins.
CAPPING UP
The upperclassmen have stepped up in the scoring ranks of late putting home 37 of the 'Eaters' last 50 goals. Kelsey Klatt has led the charge with 10 of those along with six from Hillary Estrada.
Through the first six matches, six Anteaters combined for 10 or more assists and steals:
12 - Kelsey Klatt & Hillary Estrada
11 - Kelsey Thornton & Emily Carlson
10 - Hannah Croghan & Cambria Shockley
SKIP SHOTS
UCI has the nation's top three teams on its ledger this season:
Stanford - Opening day test Jan. 26th as part of the UCSB Gaucho Invitational. UCI trailed by one at halftime and two after three quarters holding the top-ranked Cardinal to half (9) of its season average 18 goals in a 9-4 defeat.
UCLA - Amidst non-conference action, a Feb. 15th road match sandwiched between the UCSD and UCI invites. UCLA jumped out early, but the 'Eaters reeled them back in to take brief leads in both the second and third quarters before succumbing late in a 9-6 loss at UCLA.
USC - Apr. 6th at Anteater Aquatics Complex during the height of Big West play
The Anteaters will host the Big West Tournament for the first time in program history. The three-day event last goes from April 26-28 and will determine who receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in Boston, Massachusetts.
UCI will play its first 11 matches on the road and 17 of its first 22. It ends the season on a run of four home matches in the team's final five games. Through the first 11, the Anteaters went 7-4.
BARRING OUT
UCI and the Big West welcome two new schools into the fold: Hawaii and San Diego State.
Hawaii dropped down in the rankings in 2012 finishing the season with a 10-15 record and a No. 15 ranking.
San Diego State finished eighth in the nation with a 22-11 record. UCI bested SDSU twice in 2012, both by a single goal.
All eight Big West schools were represented in the last national poll. LBSU made the biggest jumped from unranked to
PRESEASON POLO
UC Irvine started the season out ranked sixth in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) preseason poll. The No. 6 ranking ties the highest preseason rank for UCI matching its ranking in 2012. UCI was also ranked fifth in the waterpoloplanet.com preseason poll. It started out 2012 tied for fifth in the rankings.
ROAD PAVED FOR DAVIS
The 14th-ranked Aggies have had an up and down year to this point. Coming in with a record of 5-5, UC Davis started off slow with some high-octane opponents. All five of its losses have come at the hand of higher-ranked opponents such as Hawaii, San Jose State, Indiana, and twice to Stanford.
The Aggies have gotten back on the winning track with a sweep of their own Davis Challenge which included a win over conference foe Pacific who had been on a hot streak of late.
Carmen Eggert leads Davis with 21 goals followed close behind by Jessica Dunn's 18. Dunn has also been a weapon collecting 17 assists to lead the squad.
Keelia Houston has scored 12 times complimented by 11 assists and also leads UC Davis in the sprint category winning eight of her 20 attempts.
The trio of Eggert, Dunn, and Houston each have over 200 minutes of play thus far with others like Erin Schlueter, Kathryn Bailey, and Hannah Curran commanding quite of bit of pool time.
Riane Woods and Jillian Wilding have shared time in the cage. Woods does have the save advantage, 44-35, in 14 more minutes played, while Wilding's 5.30 goals-against-average nearly doubles Woods' 11.30 GAA.
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