Story courtesy UC Irvine Athletics.
The upstart Anteaters brought the house against UCLA in the third-place game falling, 10-9, Sunday afternoon at the Aztec Aquaplex. The Eaters finished in fourth place and scored great efforts all around including a five-goal game for junior Jessy Cardey.
The Eaters were patient after winning the opening sprint. Cardey buried her 70th goal of the season on the power play to take the early 1-0 lead. UCLA went on the power play as well, but Jillian Yocum broke up its one-time attempt. The squads traded offensive fouls before UCLA drove on the breakout and tied the match. Katie Croghan rose up with a shot, but Caitlin Dement stopped it before it crossed the line. UCI regained possession following a yellow card to Head Coach Dan Klatt. Danielle Wardes lob shot was tipped down. UCLA responded with a shot wide. UCI earned a power play, but its shot was knocked down. The Bruins would take the lead on a long cross-cage shot. Coinciding contra fouls gave UCI the ball, but a sweep shot from Michaela Pierandozzi sailed high. Yocum made a big-time save and fired an outlet to Annika Bergesen who found Danielle Warde all alone to finish and tie the match up late in the period. The Bruins took the lead back on a point-shot from KK Clark. A beautiful cross-cage shot by Warde barred down as UCI remained down, 3-2, after one quarter.
UCI tied it up again with a good combo goal from Cardey to Hannah Croghan on the power play. UCLA missed wide in its first possession. The Anteaters came down as Cardey fired one from the side, but it was saved. Yocum would return the favor on the other end. UCI earned a huge exclusion followed by a penalty that Cardey skipped in to take the lead back, 4-3.
Following a timeout, UCLA went on the attack, but Katie Croghan jumped in for the steal. Kelsey Klatts shot was saved on the other end, but she got the ball back on the entry pass on the other end. Cardeys blast went wide, but she picked off a pass and hit Hannah Croghan with a huge breakaway. Croghan missed off the bar, and the score remained 4-3, UCI. After a shot deflected wide, UCLA kept UCI out of the cage with a steal and came down with the tying goal. The Anteater offense sputtered, but the Bruins could not make anything happen on the offensive end either. UCLA got the lead back on an offspeed shot from Hannah Sebenaler. Klatts final shot was field-blocked while the Bruins skipped a shot before the buzzer taking a 5-4 lead into the half over the Eaters.
UCI couldnt get anything on its first possession as Cardey was attacked from behind and lost the ball. UCLA was unable to get anything going either mustering a desperation lob over the cage. UCI lost the ball on its next trip on an entry pass attempt. UCLA worked the clock and snuck a ball in the corner to stretch the lead to 6-4. UCIs offense continued to be stagnant, but a big UCLA foul led to a breakout skip-shot goal from senior Katie Croghan. UCI would capitalize on another foul, and a great drive by Warde forced a penalty shot. Cardey skipped it in to tie the match and earn the hat trick. The squads would trade offensive fouls before UCLA would go on the power play.
Following a timeout, UCLAs Naranjo would walk in and find a hole right above Yocums head. UC Irvine earned an exclusion on the next possession, but following a timeout, Cardeys shot was blocked just high. UCLA countered and pushed a goal across after a lob to make it 8-6. UCI went back on the power play. Pierandozzis skip shot was just kept out by Dement. UCLA replied with a weak center forward shot. The Eaters earned a power play, and a quick pass in was knocked down.
UCLA used a timeout as they went on the power play. KK Clark skipped a nice shot, but it bounced just high. UCI was unable to pull the trigger as UCLA got the ball back. A big offensive foul gave UCI a chance near the end of the quarter, but the outlet pass was fed just a little too far keeping the score at 8-6, UCLA.
UCI got a huge shot from deep by Hillary Estrada to close the gap early in the fourth. An untimely exclusion by UCI put the Bruins a man up again, but a hard shot from KK Clark barred right to Warde. UC Irvine responded quickly, but Cardeys skip shot was saved by Dement. UCLA countered with a backhand shot out of center forward that Yocum nicked, but couldnt grab before crossing the goal line. UCI stayed in it with another penalty shot goal from Cardey for her fourth. The Eaters ripped the entry pass away and countered, but Hannah Croghans shot floated off the bar. UCI would get a huge field block on defense. The Eater offense was held in check with a weak shot by Katie Croghan. UCLAs counter produced a lob from Naranjo, but glanced off the cage.
Following a timeout, Cardey rose up and nailed a shot from the point to tie it up. Warde put UCI immediately back on offense with a huge steal. After a dump, UCLA would earn an exclusion. Following a timeout, UCLA converted with a big one-timer to take the lead back. Cardey would fire one from the point, but Dement would cover it. UCLA would respond with an empty possession giving the ball back to UCI. Hannah Croghan had a good look that Dement cornered off the post. As the match approached one minute remaining, the Bruins would fire one wide.
UCI got one more shot on the power play, but a pass inside to Estrada would be field-blocked as UCLA runs the clock down.
UC Irvine finishes in fourth place in its first-ever one-goal loss to UCLA. The Anteaters finish the season at 25-8, 1-2 in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.