Photo credit: Cathatyn Hayne/NCAA
2015 SEASON
Record: 21-9
Home: 4-3
Away/Neutral: 17-6
Big West / Finish: 4-1 (1st)
Big West Tournament: L(OT) 9-8 in Final vs. Hawai'i
NCAA Tournament: 5th Place (2-1)
National Ranking: 5th
The Anteaters finished the 2015 season fifth place in the nation according to the CWPA national rankings and backed up by a fifth place finish in the NCAA Tournament. It's the second fifth-place finish at the NCAAs for the 'Eaters matching its first trip in 2011. The program also finished sixth in 2014 and fourth in 2012.
The national ranking of fifth is the highest the Anteaters have ever finished. Despite the NCAA Tournament finish, UCI has been sixth twice and seventh twice in the final coaches poll in years' past.
UC Irvine went 21-9 marking the fifth straight season and sixth overall that the program recorded 20 or more wins while losing less than 10 matches.
UCI went 4-1 in conference play wrapping up its sixth Big West regular season title and fourth outright. The 'Eaters have now gone 32-5 in since joining the conference seven seasons ago. They reached the Big West final for the seventh straight season in the tournament, but fell in overtime, 9-8, to host Hawai'i.
UCI was the runner-up in the Big West Tournament. In the seven years of the tournament, UCI holds a 15-2 record winning it five times. It's two losses were both against Hawai'i in overtime of the championship match.
The program as a whole is now 269-219 over 488 matches in its 15 years of existence. The 2015 season marked the 10th winning season for the program, all coming in the last 10 years under Head Coach Dan Klatt who has amassed a 220-124 record in 11 seasons.
The Anteater defense was the story of 2015 allowing just 196 goals, the third season in program history where they've allowed less than 200 goals joining the 2008 and 2013 squads. The defense locked down opponents shutting them out for an entire quarter 22 times, eight times to open the match, and four times in an entire half putting together a pair of 20-minute scoreless stretches.
ANTEATER ACCOLADES
The 'Eaters secured their share of awards during the 2015 season capped off in the NCAA Tournament with All-Tournament Team honors for freshman Mary Brooks populating the second team after a UC Irvine NCAA Tournament record nine goals.
The honor is the sixth for the program joining 2011 honoree Cortney Collyer, 2012 honoree Kelsey Klatt, and three-time team member Jessy Cardey.
Brooks made a statement the Big West as well being named the top freshman, the fourth instance for the program and first since Danielle Warde's 60 goal season in 2011.
The honor was enough to earn her honorable mention on the All-Big West squad, one of two freshmen on the team, while three Anteaters scored first team status including a fourth for Warde, third for Jillian Yocum, and first for McKenna Mitchell after being named to the honorable mention squad twice before. It marks the seventh straight year with at least four honorees and fifth time with three or more first-teamers.
UCI captured player of the week honors four times including a pair from senior goalie Jillian Yocum. Danielle Warde won for the fifth time in her career setting a new mark for Big West water polo. The fourth honor went to Mitchell giving her three in her career.
SENIOR SENTIMENTS
The Anteaters say farewell to two seniors who have each left a permanent mark on the UC Irvine program.
Senior Danielle Warde closed with seven goals in the NCAA Tournament giving her 46 on the year to lead the team. She led the team in scoring for three of her four years and surpassed the 200-goal plateau finishing fourth all-time with 203 career goals.
Senior goalie Jillian Yocum became the program's all-time saves leader with 27 saves over the NCAA Tournament good for 256 on the season and 937 in her career surpassing Lauren Machanis' 932. She finished her career with 42 double-digit save performances and a record of 77-32 in games she started.
THE NEXT WAVE
With the loss of two seniors, UC Irvine will return a bevy of seasoned Anteaters to take the reins.
Junior McKenna Mitchell led the squad in scoring for most of the year finishing with 43 and now with 131 in her career. She fronts an experienced class with scoring threat Cambria Shockley, lockdown defender Kelsey Thornton, primary sprinter Emily Carlson, and key contributor Hanna Lancaster who together accounted for 102 (42%) of the squads scoring this season.
The abbreviated second-year squad made strides. Mackenzie Milham scored 12 goals while blossoming into a go-to defender. Gabby Pierandozzi had more of a presence at center forward and rained in nine goals. Destene Albers led the class with 17 goals, and was also one of seven Anteaters to partake in all 30 matches.
A big push came from the freshman class. Obvious impact was made by Brooks, but outside her 36 goals, her fellow freshmen poured in 20 of their own. Two-meter specialist Natalie Seidemann stood her ground against some of the best and scored 10 times. Julie Swieca was also called upon at pivotal times, and added seven goals.
Another notable freshman was goalie Riley Shaw. Though only seeing action in three matches and snagging two saves, she will be called upon in the cage in 2016 along with redshirt junior Annika Nelson who has been biding her, and should get her chance in full next season.
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