LONG BEACH, Calif. - No. 9 UC Irvine women's water polo team fell to No. 8 Long Beach State, 15-14, in a tight sudden death match to close out the regular season on Thursday night at Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. 

The Beach netted two quick goals before the 'Eaters got on the board to make it 2-1. Long Beach State added another tally before UCI added one of their own to stay within one, 3-2, at the end of the first. The 'Eaters and the Beach traded goals to start the second quarter, before UCI netted two in a row to tie it up, 5-5. Long Beach State netted one before the Anteaters found the equalizer to keep it tied, 6-6, at the end of the half. The Beach outscored the 'Eaters 3-2 to take the lead, 9-8, heading into the final frame. Long Beach State netted the first goal of the fourth before UCI went on a 3-0 run to take the lead, 11-10. The Beach found the equalizer to send the game into overtime tied up at 11. Each team netted two in the first overtime period to keep it tied up, 13-13. Both squads netted one in the second overtime to send the match into a sudden death period tied up at 14. The Beach struck first in sudden death to steal the 15-14 victory. 

BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Lauren Hett led the 'Eaters with five goals. Sophomore Deirdre Murphy netted two. 

Pippa Heaver, Bella Calderon, Chloe Patist, Mary Hassett, Madi O'Hara, Vivian Bailey, and Michelle Urkov each added one tally. Junior Ella Walker recorded 10 saves in net.

Chiara Amoroso led the Beach with six goals and scored the game-winning goal.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Beach got on the board first with two quick goals (7:30, 6:59) before Madi O'Hara drew an exclusion, setting up a goal for Vivian Bailey (6:33), with help from Sara Naulty, with the extra attacker. Long Beach State added another tally at the 2:37 mark to increase their lead, 3-1. Deirdre Murphy drew a penalty, setting up a goal on the five-meter attempt from Lauren Hett (2:22), putting the 'Eaters within one, 3-2, at the end of one.

Long Beach State netted the first goal of the second period (6:54) before Hett set up a goal for Bella Calderon at the 5:03 mark to put the 'Eaters within one, 4-3. The Beach added another tally (4:05) before Murphy found the back of the net, with help from Hett, at the 2:52 mark to keep UCI within one, 5-4. Murphy drew an exclusion, setting up a goal on the man advantage from Michelle Urkov, with help from Sydney Hagan, to tie it up, 5-5, at the 2:03 mark. The Beach answered with a tally of their own (1:51) before O'Hara drew an exclusion to set up a goal on the power play from Hett (1:29), with an assist from Calderon, to tie it up 6-6 at the end of the half.

The Beach netted one on the five-meter attempt (7:27) before adding another tally to increase their lead, 8-6, at the 5:50 mark. Chloe Patist found the back of the net, with help from Jess Reagan, at the 1:48 mark to pull within one, 8-7. Long Beach State added a tally on the power play (0:49) before Hett netted one, with an assist from Naulty, to stay within one, 9-8, at the end of the third. 

The Beach netted the first goal of the final frame on the power play (7:50) to increase their lead, 8-10. The 'Eaters went on a 3-0 run to take the lead, kicked off with a goal from Mary Hassett at the 7:21 mark. Deirdre Murphy found the back of the net (6:23), with help from Naulty, to tie it up at 10-10. Hett netted one, with an assist from Pippa Heaver, to take the lead, 11-10, at the 3:22 mark. The Beach found the equalizer on the power play to tie it up at 11-11 and sent the game to overtime.

O'Hara netted the first goal of overtime (1:54), with an assist from Hett, to give the 'Eaters the advantage, 12-11. The Beach netted two in a row (1:14, 0:33) to retake the lead, 13-12. Heaver found the back of the net with just 0:02 remaining, with help from Naulty, to keep it tied up, 13-13, at the end of the first overtime period.

Hett found the back of the net on the man advantage, with an assist from Naulty, to give the 'Eaters the lead, 14-13, at the 1:34 mark. The Beach found the equalizer at the 0:31 mark to send the game into a sudden death period tied up at 14. 

Long Beach State found the back of the net first in the sudden death period to steal the 15-14 victory.