UC Irvine
Hawai''i
No. 5 Anteaters Hold Off No. 6 Hawai'i, 7-6
April 11, 2015 | Women's Water Polo
IRVINE, Calif. --- Once again, UC Irvine and Hawai'i came down to the final possesion with Saturday afternoon's affair at Anteater Aquatics Complex going UC Irvine's way, 7-6.
Hawai'i (13-8, 2-2) lined up with 25 seconds to go following a timeout, and got an attacker all alone on the right wing who drove in and fired, but Jillian Yocum made the biggest of her many clutch saves on the match with 13 seconds to go to turn UH away at the final buzzer.
UCI (17-6, 3-0) got a head start in the first half getting the scoring going five minutes into the match from Danielle Warde.
The quarter ended with a bang as McKenna Mitchell reared up from her own 5-meter mark and tossed a hail mary at the buzzer. Hawai'i keeper, Ymane Hage, seemed to stumble on her backpedal and couldn't get enough of the ball as it deflected into the top left corner of the goal to put UCI up, 2-0, heading to the second.
The Anteater attack pushed on into the period as they continued to hold the Rainbow Wahine scoreless, but were not unable to cash in and extend the lead. Yocum made her first big play turning back a Paula Chillida Esforzado penalty shot in the first minute of the quarter to keep the match at 2-0. Hanna Lancaster gave UCI something right before the half with a long-range lob with just 11 seconds left to push the score to 3-0 as the half came to a close.
Each side unleashed the goals in the second half. After eight total goals in the previous six periods between these squads, the teams came together for seven in the third period alone.
The 'Eaters started early with a Mary Brooks wrist shot in the first minute of the quarter to give UCI its largest lead at 4-0.
Hawai'i broke a 40-minute drought against the Anteaters at the 4:57 mark of the third as Chillida Esforzado finally broke through. Suddenly, the Bows had cut the lead in half to 4-2 iless than a minute later.
Both sides traded blows throughout the remainder of the quarter punctuated by Chloe Barr's goal with five seconds to go sending the match to the fourth quarter with UCI up, 6-4.
The 'Eaters got a big-time insurance strike in the first minute of the fourth thanks to Warde once again as she slung a no-look shot from the right wing whizzing it over Hage's arm to extend the lead back to 7-4.
Hawai'i pressed on chopping the deficit down to two with 4:42 left and to within one with 1:09 left to set the stage for the final possession.
Yocum's save was one of four in the quarter alone and 10 on the game as well as a steal. Hage finished with eight saves.
Warde and Chillida Esforzado each had a pair of goals to lead the match. Warde was hampered by a pair of ejections limiting her play throughout. Her teammates picked her up in the form of a pair of steals and an assist from Lancaster, and a steal and assist to go with a third-period goal from Gabby Pierandozzi.
The win raises UCI to 3-0 in conference, and gives them a leg up on its seeding in the conference tournament. The 'Eaters would clinch a first-round bye with a win on Sunday against UC Davis. UCI can claim the regular season title and No. 1 seed with a win coupled with an LBSU loss as it squares off with Hawai'i.
UCI and UC Davis get going at 12:00 p.m. Sun. Apr. 12 which will be followed by a senior ceremony immediately after the match.
No. 5 UC IRVINE 7, No. 6 HAWAI'I 6
UCI (17-6, 3-0) | UH (13-8, 2-2)
April 11, 2015
Anteater Aquatics Complex
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|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
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UH |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
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UCI |
2 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
UCI goals: Danielle Warde (2), Mary Brooks, Mackenzie Milham, Hanna Lancaster, McKenna Mitchell, Gabby Pierandozzi
UH goals: Paula Chillida Esforzado (2), Claire Nixon, Chloe Barr, Zoe Respondek, Emily Carr
Saves: Jillian Yocum (UCI) – 10; Ymane Hage (UH) – 8
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