CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Anteaters utilized offensive contributions from 13 different UCI players to power past La Salle, 20-6, on Friday afternoon.
 
Center Nioka Thomas led the charge on the attack with a hat-trick on five shots to go with an assist. Five other players had multi-goal games for the Anteaters including freshman Gabbie Graniello's first and second career goals.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Sara Naulty, Avy Newton, Madi O'Hara, and Annabelle Mundelius rounded out the multi-goal scorers
• Seven Anteaters had one goal apiece
• Rachel Kirchner played 24 minutes between the pipes, stopping five shots
• Ella Walker came in to play the remaining eight minutes in cage where she recorded five blocks
• Eight UCI players tallied an assist
• Gracie Helberg stripped the ball away a game-best two times
• UCI was 4-8 (0.500) on power plays to La Salle's 2-11 (0.182)
• The Explorers were only 2-3 on penalty shots while the Anteaters were a perfect 5-5
• La Salle was led by Francesca Co who recorded four goals on ten attempts and a steal

 
SCORING BREAKDOWN

• First period: No. 10/9 UC Irvine jumped out to an early 4-0 advantage, the first score from Sara Naulty at 7:25. Close to a minute later, Nioka Thomas (6:27) fired into the back of the cage on a dime from Lauren Hassett. Sophomore Annabelle Mundelius posted the next to scores before La Salle stopped the Anteater run on a five-meter penalty at 1:20. On the next offensive set, Peyton Pierson passed around to Gracie Helberg who launched with 36 seconds left in the period to go up 5-1.
  • Mundelius (2), Helberg (1), Naulty (1), and Thomas (1)
• Second period: The Anteaters went on a five-goal tear highlighted with Kennedy East's (4:30), Madi O'Hara's (3:57), and Vivian Bailey's (2:46) first goals of the contest. The Explorers drew contact for a five-meter penalty and then drew up a play during a timeout to stop the bleeding to draw to 10-3 before the half.
  • Bailey (1), East (1), Naulty (1), O'Hara (1), and Thomas (1)
• Third period: Brooke Hourigan netted the five-meter penalty shot at 6:54 before La Salle responded with a power play goal at 5:22. UCI converted two more penalty shots in the stanza, the last at 2:22, to make it a ten-point contest. On the next offensive set, the Explorers (1:57) found the back of the cage to draw to 14-5.
  • Hett (1), Hourigan (1), O'Hara (1), and Thomas (1)
• Fourth period: UCI outscored La Salle 6-1 in the final eight minutes to ice the win. The Anteaters posted three-straight scores prior to an Explorer (2:46) deposit into the next. No. 10/9 UC Irvine would then put away two five-meter's and then a natural goal for a 20-6 victory.
  • Graniello (2), Newton (2), Birdsall (1), and Murphy (1)

UP NEXT
No. 10/9 UC Irvine starts the second day of Convergence Invitational competition with a 10:15 a.m. meeting with No. 20/20 San Diego State.