UCI Falters 14-13 In Overtime Loss To No. 8 :Long Beach State

Sunday, February 23

Irvine, CA

9:00 AM

UC Irvine

4-8

Long Beach State

7-8

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	OT	Final F
Long Beach State	1	3	6	2	1	1	14
UC Irvine	4	3	2	3	1	0	13

UCI Falters 14-13 In Overtime Loss To No. 8 :Long Beach State

February 23, 2025 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Jordan Kehoe

IRVINE, Calif. – After battling back from a second half deficit to force overtime, No. 6/6 UC Irvine dropped an overtime thriller to Black and Blue rival No. 8 Long Beach State, 14-13, in the seventh-place game of the Barbara Kalbus Invitational.

With nine seconds left in the contest, trailing 12-11, UCI called a timeout to switch center Nioka Thomas to the goalkeeper in the 7-on-6 set formation. Thomas took the ball up the pool and played catch with Brooke Hourigan with Hourigan ending up with the ball taking the final shot to send the game to overtime.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Kennedy East paced the offense with three goals
Lauren Hett, Sara Naulty, and Nioka Thomas netted two goals apiece
Goalkeeper Rachel Kirchner reached a career-best 11 saves and recorded three steals
Brooke Hourigan dished out a game-best three assists
Both teams were 3-13 (21.3 percent) on power play chances
No. 8 Long Beach State was led by Elisa Portillo's seven goals on ten shot attempts

SCORING BREAKDOWN

First period: Out of the gate on No. 6/6 UC Irvine's first offensive possession, Kennedy East (7:16) slipped the ball through the left side to give the home team the early advantage. The Beach equalized at 5:39 before East threw for the width of the pool to Lauren Hett (5:13) for the back post shot in response. Two more scores from the 'Eaters gave them the 4-1 advantage.
- East (2), Hett (1), and Naulty (1)
Second period: In the opening 90 seconds of the second stanza, No. 8 Long Beach State quickly put three in the back of the cage on counterattacks to even the score 4-all at 6:23. UCI rallied with three of their own as Madi O'Hara collected the deflection for the score, Peyton Pierson (2:57) placed it in the nearside, and Hett (0:40) ripped cross-cage to maintain the lead, 7-4.
- Hett (1), O'Hara (1), and Pierson (1)
Third period: The Anteaters were able to hold their three-point advantage twice, the last when Nioka Thomas drew the exclusion and then quickly converted while up a player at 5:21. LBSU posted four straight unanswered scores to claim their first lead of the contest at 2:01, 10-9.
- Mundelius (1) and Thomas (1)
Fourth period: Every time the Beach scored; the Anteaters had a response. It remained a one-point game, twice, after East (7:24) registered a hat-trick and Thomas (2:56) converted the five-meter chance. Trailing 12-11 in the dwindling seconds of the game, UC Irvine switched to a 7-on-6 with Thomas as the goalie, the now keeper tossed over to Brooke Hourigan who ripped the ball that headed to the far post and banged in right as the clock rang to send the game to extra time.
- East (1), Hourigan (1), and Thomas (1)
Fifth period: Both sides played strong defensively through almost two minutes of the first overtime period until Naulty cracked the defense with a nicely placed ball on the inside of the far post to take the lead back. Long Beach State answered on the next drive at 0:56 to keep it equal at 13-13.
- Naulty (1)
Sixth period: The Beach lobbed the ball down the length of the pool for a score on the 1-vs-1 going ahead 14-13 with 2:08. The Anteaters had opportunities at the cage, but the LBSU defense held strong.

UP NEXT
The Anteaters will complete their tournament portion of the schedule at the Convergence Invitational (Feb. 28-Mar.1), rematching with No. 14/13 LMU at 11:30 a.m. Friday morning in the opener.