Second Half Surge Sends UCI Over Redlands, 14-9

Saturday, September 9

Redlands, Calif.

3:30 p.m.

UC Irvine

4-2, 0-0

Redlands

3-3, 0-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC Irvine	2	3	5	4	14
Redlands	1	3	4	1	9

Second Half Surge Sends UCI Over Redlands, 14-9

September 09, 2023 | Men's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Jordan Kehoe

REDLANDS, Calif. – An offensive run in third period combined with a strong defensive presence in the fourth period help UC Irvine earn the 14-9 win over the reigning Division III national champions Redlands.

The Anteaters score five goals in the third stanza, the most in any quarter of the game, and only gave up one goal in the fourth period.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Redshirt sophomore Samuel Otta led the game with his four goals and six shots
Otta also recorded three steals, a game high
Jack Stevens notched the hat-trick (3-4), scoring two of his three goals in the third period
Tyler Padua, Dylan Patist, and Johann Thrall all scored two goals apiece
Junior Jacob Pyle played all 32 minutes between the pipes making 10 saves
Patist, Jake Liechty, and Gage Verdegaal each dished out the ball three times
Otta, and Thrall have extended their scoring streaks to six games while Stevens moves to five straight
Both squads each committed seven exclusions
UCI has scored the first goal in every game for six consecutive games
The contest saw three ties and the Anteaters never trailed in the contest
Redlands was led by Callum Norman who recorded three goals on four shots

SCORING BREAKDOWN

First period: Samuel Otta striped the ball from the attacking Redlands player and used that momentum to take the ball down the pool to convert on the other end at 6:41. The Redlands scored at 4:32, but on Padua broke the deadlock with some help from Patist (1:05)
- Otta (1) and Padua (1)
Second period: In a span of 21 seconds, Thrall (6:52, 6:31) was able to find the back of the net twice to separate the Anteaters from the Bulldogs.
- Thrall (2) and Otta (1)
Third period: UC Irvine scored three straight goals to breakaway from Redlands. The Bulldogd would tally the next goal of the contest which would lead to an exchange of goals between the two squads.
- Stevens (2), Campbell (1), Otta (1), and Padua (1)
Fourth period: A Bulldogs goal was sandwiched between two sets of scoring efforts from the Anteaters including two consecutive from Patist to close out the game.
- Patist (2), Otta (1), and Stevens (1)

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will hold their home opener on Sunday Sept. 10 at 12 p.m. against No. 2 USC.

There is a capacity limit of 500 people at the Anteater Aquatics Complex and fans will be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.