No. 7 Anteaters Compete in Triton Invite

Saturday, February 12

La Jolla, Calif.

12:00 PM

UC Irvine

Marist

Photo by: Robert Huskey

No. 7 Anteaters Compete in Triton Invite

February 10, 2022 | Women's Water Polo

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau


Dates	February 12-13, 2022
Location	La Jolla, Calif. - Triton Pool & Canyonview Pool
Times	Saturday - 12:00 PM *#23 Marist Red Foxes*	Saturday - TBD *Hawai'i or CSUN*	Sunday - TBD *TBD*	Sunday - TBD *TBD*
Opponent	Saturday - 12:00 PM *#23 Marist Red Foxes*	Saturday - TBD *Hawai'i or CSUN*	Sunday - TBD *TBD*	Sunday - TBD *TBD*
*Tournament Page*	UCSD Triton Invitational Tournament Page
Match Notes	UC Irvine Women's Water Polo Notes
Social Media	@UCIwwp @UCIwwp UC Irvine Women's Water Polo #RipEm #TogetherWeZot

STORYLINES
· UCI scored 42 goals on the weekend including 23 against Concordia to tie a program record reached twice before. In that game was a nine-goal first period for UC Irvine.
· UCI remains ranked seventh in the nation. Big West preseason polls selected the 'Eaters to finish first.
· Nioka Thomas won the program's second Big West Player of the Week honor of the season. She led all Anteaters with five goals and four drawn exclusions. She netted her first career hat trick against Concordia, and on the weekend added two steals and an assist.
· Both Faith Tedesco and Jordan Frost saw time in net with each playing 32 minutes. Tedesco allowed four totals goals with six saves. Jordan Frost made a career high five saves vs. Azusa Pacific.
· Other Anteaters had big weekends such as Libby Alexander with a team-high seven points from two goals and five assists. She also led everyone with four steals. Sarah Nichols collected her first career hat trick while contributing three steals and two assists. Brooke Banta netted her first goals for UCI with a four-goal game vs. Azusa Pacific. Along with Alexander, first career goals came for Gracie Helberg and Airian Grisham.
· As a team in the two games, UCI went 16-for-23 on the power play, and on the season have a .375 success rate. The defense came up with 32 steals with 10 players collecting multiples. UCI won five of eight sprints including
· UCI's defense posted two more shutout periods, one in each match, for four this year. On the year, UCI has killed 38 of 44 power play opportunities.

ANTEATER ACCOLADES
· Piper Smith netted her 100th career goal over the weekend. She's also won 60 of 90 career sprints.
· Scoring leaders are Tara Prentice with 14 goals while Kili Skibby has assisted seven goals.
· Anteaters Toni Shackelford and Isabel Rack have each played their 100th career matches at UCI this season.
· The Dean's List was announced last month with 113 student–athletes recognized with grade point averages at 3.50 and above. From women's water polo, 12 were honored including Brooke Banta, Ariana Bockstahler, Jensine Bugelli, Kennedy East, Airian Grisham, Kira Hoffman, Maeve Murphy, Sarah Nichols, Gabby Norris, Mica Schiavone, Piper Smith, and Rylee Williams. The Anteaters were also honored academically with 23 on the ACWPC All-Academic Team and 13 on the Big West Spring All-Academic Team following the 2020-21.
· In the pool, three were named ACWPC All-Americans including graduates Morgan Jones and Megan Falcon, and a lone returner in Piper Smith on the Second Team who led the squad in scoring with 26 goals.
· Three-time All-American Tara Prentice returns after sitting out the 2021 season to train of the 2021 Olympics. Prentice entered the season with 168 career goals. She currently stands one goal from seventh in UCI history.

PREPARING FOR THE TRITON INVITATIONAL
· UCI returns to the Triton Invitational in La Jolla for February 12 and 13. The tournament is 15 programs with 12 ranked including two top three squads, USC and UCLA, and UCI's opening opponent, Marist.
· The Anteaters open Saturday at 12:00 p.m. against No. 23 Marist. UCI has won the two previous meetings with the last coming in the 2012 Triton Invite. The Red Foxes are 2-4 with two wins last week vs. Saint Francis (PA) and Pomona-Pitzer. The Red Foxes broke Wagner's string of NCAA Tournament appearances by making it in 2021 after a 9-1 season against primarily MAAC schools.. Scoring leaders Viktoria Orlova and Myriam Lizotte return with freshman Madeline Schultz leading Marist this season with 14 goals.
· The rest of the invitational will go as the 'Eaters win or lose. Their second opponent will be either No. 6 Hawai'I or CSUN at 2:40 p.m. or 4:00 p.m. UCI will also play twice on Sunday with opponents and times to be determined. Saturday will take place in the Canyonview Pool at UC San Diego for the Anteaters.