IRVINE, Calif. – No. 8/7 UC Irvine jumped out to a 6-3 lead after the first period and never looked back in a 20-9 victory over No. 22/22 Brown at the Anteaters Athletics Complex Tuesday evening.
 
Nioka Thomas led all players with four goals on perfect shooting at the cage while adding three drawn exclusions, two steals and an assist. Both Lauren Hett and Madi O'Hara chipped in hat-tricks.
 
The win marked the Anteaters fifth 20-goal effort of the season and eighth straight as UCI improves to 12-9.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Maja Layden and Libby Alexander ended with two goals apiece
• Sara Naulty, Brooke Hourigan, Vivian Bailey, Gabby Graniello, Deirdre Murphy, and Peyton Pierson each added one goal
• Ella Walker made the start in the cage and blocked five shots in 16 minutes
• Rachel Kirchner closed the game between the pipes to record four saves
• Five Anteaters dished two assists and four had two steals
• UCI was 3-3 on five-meter shots while the Bears were not able to score on their chances (0-2)
• No. 22/22 Brown was led by Madeleine Poissonnier's three goals and two assists

 
SCORING BREAKDOWN

• First period: Madi O'Hara started the scoring at 7:09 before No. 22/22 Brown evened the score on a powerplay goal at 5:14 then went ahead at 4:33. Lauren Hett (3:41, 2:54) scored back-to-back goals and Nioka Thomas got on the board with a penalty shot at 2:15 to put UCI back in front (4-2). The Bears would score before Thomas found the back of the cage twice more to end the period, 6-3
  • Thomas (3), Hett (2), and O'Hara (1)
• Second period: Brown had the opening goal at 7:14 then several turnovers and missed shots occurred before Hett scored on a pass from Annabelle Mundelius at 5:06. Libby Alexander followed that at 4:42 with a goal on the powerplay. The Bears recorded a powerplay goal at 4:10. Maja Layden assisted on a goal by Sara Naulty (3:17) then scored a goal of her own at 2:34. Thomas ended the scoring with a goal with 35 seconds left, 11-5.
  • Alexander (1), Hett (1), Layden (1), Naulty (1), and Thomas (1)
• Third period: Once again, No. 22/22 Brown got on the board first (6:30) only to be countered quickly by one by O'Hara (6:08). Alexander took a pass from Hett and scored at 3:17. The Anteater scoring continued with a penalty shot by Layden at 2:23. The Bears stopped No. 8/7 UC Irvine's momentum with a goal at 1:56 before Vivian Bailey scored with six seconds left, 15-7.
  • Alexander (1), Bailey (1), Layden (1), and O'Hara (1)
• Fourth period: The Bears found the goal at 7:36 then UCI returned the favor at 7:18 with a goal by Brooke Hourigan. O'Hara deposited a goal at 5:42 to put UCI up 17-8. Peyton Pierson scored at 3:08 before Gabby Graniello at 2:10. Brown would find the goal at 1:45 then Deirdre Murphy fired a goal at the buzzer to end the game. 20-9.
  • Graniello (1), Hourigan (1), Murphy (1), O'Hara (1), and Pierson (1)

 
UP NEXT
UCI closes the homestand with a Friday (Mar. 28) matinee with No. 19/18 UC Santa Barbara.