Box Score LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 9 UC Irvine improved to 5-2 on the season after defeating No. 22 Loyola Marymount 12-5 in the first game of the Triton Invitational.

FIRST PERIOD
>After a slow start to the game, No. 22 Loyola Marymount called a timeout at 4:15 to come up with a plan of attack
>The Lions earned their first goal of the contest at 3:59, 0-1
>No. 9 UC Irvine responded on the ball fired from Brooke Banta, 1-1 (2:17)
>Both squads exchanged goals, LMU at 1:55 and Mica Schiavone at 1:24 to keep the game knotted, 2-2
>Gracie Helberg netted her first goal of the contest with 58 seconds remaining in the period to give UCI the lead, 3-2
 
SECOND PERIOD
>The second period started off quiet and remained that way as both teams only scored one goal a-piece
>Michaela Strickland scored the first goal of the period at 5:16, 4-2
>LMU battled back to close within one, 4-3 (4:18)

THIRD PERIOD
>Helberg (7:19) and Kennedy East (6:26) scored less than a minute apart to stretch the Anteater lead, 6-3
>The Lions were able to deposit the ball into the goal on their next offensive possession, 6-4 (6:03)
>Libby Alexander placed one in the cage at 3:50 before Helberg notched the hat-trick with 2:05 remaining, 8-4
>LMU snuck one past the Anteater defense with 40 ticks on the clock to close out the period, 8-5
 
FOURTH PERIOD
>Olivia Giolas (6:04) was give the ball to put another tally on the board, 9-5
>Two LMU exclusions led into two UCI goals, one from Elena Flynn (5:31) and the other from Jessica Lynch (3:46), 11-5
>Nioka Thomas had the final goal of the contest, 12-5

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will face No. 7 Long Beach State in the first game of the day on Saturday Feb. 4 with a 11:10 a.m. start.