UC Irvine Can't Hold Off UCLA In NCAA Quarterfinal Loss

Friday, May 12

Stockton, CA

2 p.m.

UC Irvine

20-7

UCLA

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC Irvine	4	3	2	3	12
UCLA	2	3	5	4	14

UC Irvine Can't Hold Off UCLA In NCAA Quarterfinal Loss

May 12, 2023 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Jordan Kehoe

STOCKTON, Calif. – UC Irvine couldn't hold-off fourth-seeded UCLA in the second half, falling to the Bruins, 14-12, in a NCAA quarterfinal contest.

The Anteaters (20-7) were outscored 9-5 in the second half after leading 7-5 in the first two quarters.

Elena Flynn led the Anteaters with six goals followed by Jessica Lynch with three.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Nioka Thomas, Kili Skibby and Gabby Norris also scored for UCI
>Goalkeeper Erin Tharp collected seven saves
>Both teams struggled on the powerplay with UCI going 4-10 and UCLA 4-15
>The game saw five ties as there was one in the first period and four more in the final 10 minutes
>Ava Johnson led UCLA with three goals

FIRST PERIOD
>Jessica Lynch got the scoring started with a goal up top at 7:04
>Following a Bruin goal at 6:13, Kili Skibby took advantage of a 6-on-4 and buried a ball that was fed across the pool from at 5:04, 2-1
>UCLA had a power-play goal at 4:54 before Nioka Thomas fired a backhand to put UCI up 3-2
>Gabby Norris ping ponged the ball in off the bar to give UCI a 4-2 advantage with 14 seconds left
>A nice save by Erin Tharp kept UCLA off the board to close out the first quarter

SECOND PERIOD
>On UCI's first possession, Brooke Banta pushed the ball to Lynch who launched it from deep at 7:19, 5-2
>A powerplay goal (6:04) was followed by an even strength goal (5:18) to get the Bruins back within one, 5-4
>A UCLA exclusion was drawn by Elena Flynn then following a UCI timeout, Flynn converted with the powerplay goal up top, 6-4 (3:56)
>Norris fired the ball to the left side of the pool where Flynn buried another with 48 seconds left, 7-4
>UCLA would score with 11 seconds on a powerplay to send the Anteaters into the break with a 7-5 lead

THIRD PERIOD
>UCLA would get on the board first, scoring at 6:54 to close to 7-6
>Lynch went high corner off a Grisham assist to increase the lead to 8-6 at 6:10
>UCLA skipped in a goal at 3:47, flung another at 1:23 to knot the score then score a third unanswered, a 5-meter shot to go ahead 9-8 with 36 seconds to go
>A quick strike by Flynn tied it at 9-9 only to watch UCLA score with four seconds left, 10-9

FOURTH PERIOD
>Flynn and Banta would play catch until Flynn unloaded for a powerplay goal at 6:57, 10-10
>The Bruins would drive down the pool for the fast answer, 11-10 (5:42)
>A Bruin offensive would leave the ball in front of the UCI cage and Flynn would find Thomas who would give it right back to Flynn for a goal at 5:06
>A UCLA goal at 4:49 was followed from the Anteaters as Thomas would once again dish Flynn down low right after a Bruin exclusion (4:29), 12-12
>UCLA answered with two goals (4:12, 1:48)

NOTES
>UCI Is still looking for its first win against the Bruins, 0-34
>The Anteaters are 7-10 all-time in NCAA games