IRVINE, Calif. – In another installment of the Black and Blue rivalry, No. 7/7 UC Irvine roared in the fourth period, but it wasn't enough as they dropped 15-12 to No. 6/6 Long Beach State inside the Anteater Aquatics Complex.
 
Graduate student Brooke Hourigan led all players with four goals while adding two assists and two steals. Hourigan was honored alongside Avy Newton, Libby Alexander, Gracie Helberg, Kennedy East, and Madi O'Hara in part of the senior celebration.
 
The Anteaters finished the regular season with a 14-12 overall record, 5-2 in the Big West standings.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Lauren Hett, Kennedy East, and Madi O'Hara each chipped two goals
• Sara Naulty and Libby Alexander rounded out the scoring with one goal apiece
• Rachel Kirchner matched her career-high 11 saves for the third time this season
• Maja Layden led the team with three assists
• UCI was 2-9 (0.222) on power play's while LBSU was 4-8 (0.500)
• Both sides made one five-meter penalty
• No. 6/6 Long Beach State was led by both Martina Cardona and Elisa Portillo as they each registered seven points with three goals and four assists

 
SCORING BREAKDOWN

• First period: After winning the opening sprint, No. 6/6 Long Beach State got the ball up to the top of the formation with for the first score of the contest at 7:32. No. 7/7 UC Irvine responded as Libby Alexander dished over to Brooke Hourigan (6:41) for the cross-cage shot to keep it even. The Beach put one away on a counterattack at 4:26 then gained momentum after blocking an Anteater five-meter attempt to eventually add another on the powerplay at 1:23. On the following drive, Maja Layden forced the entry pass into Madi O'Hara (1:09) who ripped in center to draw within one, 3-2.
  • Hourigan (1) and O'Hara (1)
• Second period: The Anteaters had plenty of opportunities that were either just shy of the goal or blocked by the Beach defense while LBSU scored five unanswered in the second period to claim a healthy 8-2 lead at the half.
• Third period: After LBSU found the back of the cage once more, Hourigan stopped UCI's scoring drought as she found the lower corner on the cross-cage swing at 6:21. Two Beach goals sandwiched Kennedy East's nearside netting at 2:27 on the pass from Sara Naulty. LBSU got one more with 34 seconds left until Lauren Hett (0:17) registered with a strike from up top to close to 12-5.
  • East (1), Hett (1), and Hourigan (1)
• Fourth period: UCI caught a fiery spirit entering the fourth stanza as they won the opening sprint and gave the ball to Hett (7:45) for a bouncing ball from distance. In the cage, Rachel Kirchner blocked the one-on-one threat before Hourigan (5:52) netted a five-meter penalty shot which forced the Beach to burn a timeout. LBSU scored on a backhanded shot from the center spot until the 'Eaters closed within four, 13-9, as Naulty's left-handed shot curved into the side netting at 3:31 and O'Hara hit the upper shelf at 2:48. Alexander kept it a four-point game at 2:05 when she struck from distance. The Beach used a power play to sneak in one more before two shots went in for UCI, the first from East (1:11) then the next from Hourigan (0:17) as they dropped, 15-12.
  • Hourigan (2), Alexander (1), East (1), Hett (1), Naulty (1), and O'Hara (1)

 
UP NEXT
No. 7/7 UC Irvine will be the third seed and await their opponent for the first round of the 2025 Big West Championship (Apr. 25-27) that will be held inside the Anteater Aquatics Complex.