PALO ALTO, Calif. --- UC Irvine was tested on Day Two of the NCAA Championship, and spread its offensive wings to hold back UC San Diego with a 13-8 victory at Avery Aquatics Center.
UCSD (19-20) pushed all the right buttons early scoring in the first minute and three times in the final four minutes of the first quarter to lead 4-2 from four different scorers.
The Anteater core took charge in the second led by senior Danielle Warde burying goals to begin and end the period, and bringing the match even at 6-6 at the half.
Warde continued her assault with a goal to open the second half, and carried that through the period with another goal on a breakaway from a fine outlet from fellow senior, Jillian Yocum.
Yocum helped turn the game around as well after her first period struggles, and never was it more evident than the third period where she brought down five of her 10 saves on the match and collected two assists in UCI's (20-9) second four-goal segment.
The Tritons found some life in the fourth period breaking a stretch of 12 minutes without a goal, but the Anteaters would put an end to that as Mary Brooks completed her hat trick and Warde put away her fifth of the match as UCI was on its way to the 13-8 win.
Warde's five-goal performance was the seventh of her career and second of the season. Also, it put her over the 200-goal threshold as she became just the fourth Anteater to reach that mark officially at 201 now.
Following yesterday's performance, Yocum now has 11 double-digit save matches on the year and 42 in her career. With three saves on Sunday, she will become UC Irvine's all-time save leader. It's also her fourth instance this season when making 10 or more saves in consecutive matches.
The Anteaters got some good polo throughout their lineup on Saturday. Cambria Shockley had a two-assist day, and Gabby Pierandozzi earned a pair of exclusions and snagged a steal.
Destene Albers and Emily Carlson posted a goal, assist, steal, and earned exclusion each in the match.
The win for the 'Eaters is their 20th on the season, a plateau it has now reached in five straight seasons and six overall in Head Coach Dan Klatt's reign.
"These games are always challenging. You obviously come here to win a national championship," Klatt noted of the team's consolation result. "We found a way to play some good water polo there in the middle and came away with a win."
The Anteater offensive outburst of 13 goals was its third-most on the season and first double-digit output since a March win at CSUN.
UC Irvine's next challenge will be seventh-seeded Princeton, a foe they've not squared off with since 2005. The 'Eaters and Tigers will meet at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, May 10 to battle for fifth place.
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UCI
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13
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UCSD
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UCI goals: Danielle Warde (5), Mary Brooks (3), Mackenzie Milham, Kelsey Thornton, Destene Albers, Emily Carlson, McKenna Mitchell
UCSD goals: Lani Tittle (2), Laurel Kistler (2), Emma Sasson (2), Jolene Guiliana, Lauren Finwall
Saves: Jillian Yocum (UCI) – 10, Riley Shaw (UCI) - 0; Courtney Miller (UCSD) – 10
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