Box Score LA JOLLA, Calif. --- No. 6/8 UC Irvine women's water polo started off day two of the Triton Invitational with a 15-12 win over rival No. 10/9 Long Beach State to send the 'Eaters to the semifinal match later on against top-ranked UCLA.

UCI charged out to a big, first-quarter lead thanks to a pair of Lauren Hett goals and made the most of that early advantage seeing it through to the final whistle. Hett along with Nioka Thomas led the way with three goals each as the squad spread the scoring around to eight different Anteaters.

The Anteaters are back in the win column against LBSU after dropping their most recent meeting to end the 2024 season. UC Irvine still has taken 28 of the last 29 meetings.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Three different 'Eaters had multi-goal periods with Hett in the first, Gabby Alexander in the second, and Sara Naulty in the third
• Nioka Thomas was the only 'Eater to score in three different periods
• Single-goal scorers included Kennedy East, Brooke Hourigan, Madi O'Hara, Pippa Heaver, and Peyton Pierson

SCORING BREAKDOWN

• First Period: UC Irvine fell behind to start off the match allowing a power play goal within the first minute of the match to trail, 1-0. The offense picked them up scoring the next five goals in the span of 4:19. Hett netted the first two, one on a five-meter opportunity, followed by Thomas, another penalty by East, and Peyton Pierson completing the run with 1:22 left in the period. LBSU cut into the deficit with two more goals in the final 37 seconds to make it a 5-3 UCI lead
  • Hett (2), East (1), Thomas (1), Pierson (1)
• Second Period: LBSU again began the period with a goal making it a one-goal game 20 seconds in on a penalty try. UCI countered with the next two strikes thanks to Alexander and the second via a five-meter try. Long Beach State got a goal back before two more UCI scores from Heaver and Hett to get back to their four-goal advantage like the first period. LBSU again had the final say scoring with 1:32 left in the half to make it 9-6 UC Irvine as both defenses stepped up down to the halfway whistle.
  • Alexander (2), Hett (1), Heaver (1)
• Third Period: The Anteaters opened things up to start the second half with the first four goals of the third period. Brooke Hourigan scored at 6:19 in the period with Naulty following on the power play at 5:52. Thomas chimed in at 4:41 to make it a 12-6 lead, and Naulty buried her second of the period at 3:08 for a 13-6 lead to complete the 4-goal run over a span of 3:11. LBSU was stifled until the very final seconds of the period, but managed to get goals home with 11 seconds and one second left on the clock to head into the fourth period with a 13-8 score.
  • Naulty (2), Hourigan (1), Thomas (1)
• Fourth Period: The 'Eaters got their two goals back to start the final period with UCI starting things off from Thomas completing her hat trick with 6:36 left in the match and getting a follow-up from Madi O'Hara 20 seconds later to lead, 15-8. UCI looked to salt the game away down the stretch as LBSU found the back of the net for the final four goals in the remaining six minutes of the match. LBSU drew within four goals and still half the period to go, but UCI's defense held tough expunging a pair of exclusions along the way. LBSU's last hurrah was a goal with four seconds remaining for the final count of 15-12 in favor of the Anteaters.
  • Thomas (1), O'Hara (1)

UP NEXT
The 'Eaters are back at it at 4:30 p.m. taking on the No. 1 UCLA Bruins in match three of the Triton Invitational this weekend.