UCI Logs School Record 28 Goals In Win over Concordia

Wednesday, March 12

Irvine, CA

6:00 PM

UC Irvine

10-9

Concordia

2-15

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Concordia	2	5	4	4	15
UC Irvine	6	9	7	6	28

Photo by: Matt Brown

UCI Logs School Record 28 Goals In Win over Concordia

March 12, 2025 | Women's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Stacey Shackleford

IRVINE, Calif. – No. 8/7 UC Irvine had 14 different players score in the 28-15 victory over Concordia at the Anteater Aquatics Complex Wednesday.

UCI's 28 goals broke the previous record of 24 set in 2023. The Anteaters are 10-9 overall, winning six in a row.

The Anteaters exploded for nine goals in the second period to give UCI a 15-7 lead at the half.

Senior Libby Alexander and junior Maja Layden led UCI with a career-best five goals each. Layden had a game-best seven points, adding two assists, while Alexander had an assist and steal in the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Reining Big West Player of the Week Lauren Hett had four goals
>Sara Naulty, Madeline Kasper and Brooke Hourigan each put away two goals
>Avy Newton, Nioka Thomas, Madi O'Hara, Charley Birdsall, Vivian Bailey, Gabbie Graniello, Deirdre Murphy, Peyton Pierson each tallied a goal
>Bella Calderon tossed a career-high four assists
>Goalkeeper Ella Walker recorded the win with eight saves, while Mayezie Loggins shared time and totaled two saves
>Concordia (2-14) was led by Anna Tyukasz and Presley Acosta with three goals each

SCORING BREAKDOWN
FIRST PERIOD: Lauren Hett got the scoring going quickly with a penalty shot at 7:45…Brooke Hourigan added another penalty shot at 4:47…Libby Alexander would make it 3-0 at 4:13 before Concordia got on the board after a UCI exclusion (3:11)…Maja Layden buried a goal down low on a pass from Gracie Helberg at 2:09…Following another goal by the Golden Eagles, Layden (0:52) and Sara Naulty (0:05) each had goals to give UCI a 6-2 lead
            Layden (2), Hett (1), Hourigan (1), Alexander (1), Naulty (1)
SECOND PERIOD: Alexander put away a penalty shot at 7:34 then Hett followed with a goal at 7:06…A perfect pass from goalkeeper Ella Walker led to a Hett breakaway and goal (6:38)…Concordia would convert a penalty at 6:17 (3-9)…Kennedy East passed the ball across the defense to Alexander who found the back of the net from the right side at 5:42…After the Golden Eagles turned the ball over, Diedre Murphy scored at 4:54 off a pass from Vivian Bailey (11-3)…Concordia answered before Bailey scored from up top at 3:39 (12-4)…Madeline Kasper skipped a goal past the keeper at 2:33…A backhand went in for Concordia before Avy Newton found the top corner at 1:50 to put the Anteaters on top 14-5…Concordia's Presley Acosta jumped on a Walker save attempt that bounced away, spun and scored for Concordia at (0:54) then found another loose ball the next trip down on the power play (0:17)… Gabbie Graniello beat the buzzer with a goal with a second on the clock to close out the half with UCI leading 15-7
              Alexander (2), Hett (2), Murphy (1), Bailey (1), Kasper (1), Newton (1), Graniello (1)
THIRD PERIOD: A Concordia penalty shot opened the half (7:34) then Layden recorded her third goal of the game at 6:24…Another Concordia power play goal (6:02) was followed by a Nioka Thomas goal at set, 17-9 (5:44)…A Golden Eagle goal bounced off the keeper's fingertips at 5:28 then UCI answered with a goal by Alexander the next trip down (5:12)…Concordia used the powerplay to record a goal (4:45)…UCI would score four unanswered on a Madi O'Hara turnaround (4:35), a Hourigan goal with an extra player (3:34), a Hett long lob from Walker (2:54) and a goal by Alexander from Charley Birdsall who found the senior all alone at close range at 2:25, 22-11
              Alexander (2), Layden (1), Thomas (1), O'Hara (1), Hourigan (1), Hett (1)
FOURTH PERIOD: A Concordia goal was sandwiched between a Naulty goal at 7:40 and a Layden goal at 6:57 (24-12)…Concordia recorded a power play goal at 5:28 then Layden got creative with a sidearm sweep goal at 5:02 …A Kasper goal increased the advantage to 26-13 (4:19)…The Golden Eagles answered at 3:53… Graniello fired a pass across the pool to an unguarded Birdsall for the goal (2:51) before Peyton Pierson deposited a long goal at 1:15…A Concordia goal with 55 seconds on the clock was the final score, 28-15
              Layden (2), Naulty (1), Kasper (1), Birdsall (1), Pierson (1)
NOTES
>It is the fourth time UCI has totaled 20 or more goals in a game this season
>Hourigan, Newton and Pippa Heaver each had two steals

UP NEXT
UCI returns to Big West action Friday (Mar. 14) for a 12:00 p.m. game at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.