
Photo by: Robert Huskey
Smith’s Game Winner Lifts No. 7 UCI Over No. 10 UCSD, 10-9
April 24, 2021 | Women's Water Polo
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Piper Smith fired in the game-winning goal with 34 seconds remaining to lift No. 7 UCI to a 10-9 victory over No. 10 UCSD in non-conference action, Saturday afternoon.
UCI improves to 11-7 on the season while UCSD falls to 9-7 overall. The Anteaters finish the Big West regular season in second place and will be the No. 3 seed at the 2021 Big West Tournament next weekend. UCI will face No. 2 seed UCSD in the semifinals Saturday, May 1 at 4 p.m.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Smith finished with a hat trick while Calysa Toledo added two goals
> Kili Skibby, Toni Shackelford, Jensine Bugelli, Jessica Lynch and Danielle Ayala tallied one goal each
> Alyssa Schulte, Faith Tedesco and Jordan Frost all split time in goal. Frost played in the fourth quarter and was credited with the win
> UCSD's Ciara Franke and Annika Arroyo each finished with three goals while Bennett Bugelli made six stops in the cage
> UCI was 3-of-8 on powerplays while UCSD went 3-of-11. The Anteaters were 1-of-1 on penalty shots while the Tritons were 3-of-4
> Smith won three sprints
Quarter One
> Toledo and Bugelli exchanged back-to-back goals to give UCI a 2-0 lead (3:27)
> UCSD answered with two-straight goals to knot the game, 2-2
Quarter Two
> The Tritons would score back-to-back goals to go up, 4-2, with 5:22 to play
> Smith fired in a goal for the Anteaters at 5:05 before UCSD scored two more to take a 6-3 lead at the half
Quarter Three
> The Anteaters shut out the Tritons in the third quarter
> Smith scored at 5:46 followed by a goal from Lynch at 3:39 to bring UCI within one, 6-5
Quarter Four
> Toledo converted on a five-meter penalty shot to knot the game, 6-6, with 7:41 remaining
> Shackelford followed with a goal at 6:28 to put the 'Eaters up by one, 7-6
> UCSD would tie the game once again, 7-7, at 5:29
> Ayala and Skibby scored two-straight for the Anteaters to make it 9-7 (3:43)
> The Tritons answered again with back-to-back five-meter penalty shot goals to tie it up, 9-9
> UCSD's Franke got excluded at :34 seconds and Smith quickly took advantage, scoring right away on the extraman opportunity to give UCI the one-point, 10-9 victory
Notes: UCI is 4-0 against UCSD in 2021
Up Next
> UCI and UCSD will battle in the Big West Tournament semifinals Saturday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in La Jolla
UCI improves to 11-7 on the season while UCSD falls to 9-7 overall. The Anteaters finish the Big West regular season in second place and will be the No. 3 seed at the 2021 Big West Tournament next weekend. UCI will face No. 2 seed UCSD in the semifinals Saturday, May 1 at 4 p.m.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Smith finished with a hat trick while Calysa Toledo added two goals
> Kili Skibby, Toni Shackelford, Jensine Bugelli, Jessica Lynch and Danielle Ayala tallied one goal each
> Alyssa Schulte, Faith Tedesco and Jordan Frost all split time in goal. Frost played in the fourth quarter and was credited with the win
> UCSD's Ciara Franke and Annika Arroyo each finished with three goals while Bennett Bugelli made six stops in the cage
> UCI was 3-of-8 on powerplays while UCSD went 3-of-11. The Anteaters were 1-of-1 on penalty shots while the Tritons were 3-of-4
> Smith won three sprints
Quarter One
> Toledo and Bugelli exchanged back-to-back goals to give UCI a 2-0 lead (3:27)
> UCSD answered with two-straight goals to knot the game, 2-2
Quarter Two
> The Tritons would score back-to-back goals to go up, 4-2, with 5:22 to play
> Smith fired in a goal for the Anteaters at 5:05 before UCSD scored two more to take a 6-3 lead at the half
Quarter Three
> The Anteaters shut out the Tritons in the third quarter
> Smith scored at 5:46 followed by a goal from Lynch at 3:39 to bring UCI within one, 6-5
Quarter Four
> Toledo converted on a five-meter penalty shot to knot the game, 6-6, with 7:41 remaining
> Shackelford followed with a goal at 6:28 to put the 'Eaters up by one, 7-6
> UCSD would tie the game once again, 7-7, at 5:29
> Ayala and Skibby scored two-straight for the Anteaters to make it 9-7 (3:43)
> The Tritons answered again with back-to-back five-meter penalty shot goals to tie it up, 9-9
> UCSD's Franke got excluded at :34 seconds and Smith quickly took advantage, scoring right away on the extraman opportunity to give UCI the one-point, 10-9 victory
Notes: UCI is 4-0 against UCSD in 2021
Up Next
> UCI and UCSD will battle in the Big West Tournament semifinals Saturday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in La Jolla
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