IRVINE, Calif. - Caroline Christl scored a goal with just over a minute left in regulation to lift the No. 10 UC San Diego women's water polo team to a 12-11 win over No. 6 UC Irvine Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Tritons were defeated 17-3 by top-ranked Stanford.
Both games were part of the second day of action at the 16-team Barbara Kalbus Invitational, hosted by UC Irvine.
UC San Diego will play fourth-ranked California for fifth place on Sunday at 10:20 a.m.
For ticket info, game schedules, and results, visit the
tournament page.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. UC IRVINE
Trailing by four at 11-7, UC Irvine scored the first of four-consecutive goals at the 4:40 mark of the third quarter. Gracie Helberg closed out the period with back-to-back goals. At 5:21 of the fourth, Sara Naulty found the net for the Anteaters, which drew the teams even at 11-11.
UC San Diego was then whistled for four-straight exclusions, which included a five-meter penalty shot. The Tritons killed the three UCI power plays and and the penalty shot hit the post and stayed out of the cage..
UCI was called for an exclusion at 2:01, but UC San Diego could not capitalize on the man-up situation. With 1:06 on the clock, Christl struck for what would stand as the game-winning goal.
The winner was one of seven goals in the game for Christl, who set a new career high for goals in a single game. She also added an assist to finish with eight points, which matched her career best.
Kendall Thomas was the only other Triton with multiple goals as she recorded a hat trick while assisting on three other goals.
Abby Moll and
Courtney Okumura each scored a goal. Okumura totaled four points by adding three assists to her totals. Triton goalie
Lexi Stahl made seven saves and had three steals.
The power play was huge for the Tritons, who scored seven times in 11 opportunities. In contrast, the Anteaters finished with just three goals in 11 extra-man situations.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. STANFORD
The Stanford scoring was early and often as the Cardinal led 11-0 at halftime, scoring five goals in the first quarter and six in the second. They added two more in the third to go up 13-0 and another on a power play in the first minute of the final period to take a 14-0 lead. A second power play score at 6:09 of the fourth gave Stanford its 15th goal.
UC San Diego's first goal came via a successful five-meter penalty shot by
Abigail Schechter at the 4:51 point of the fourth quarter.
Courtney Okumura added a second goal on a power play and
Caroline Christl tallied the final goal of the game with a penalty shot with 23 seconds left in the game.
The Cardinal held a slim 27-26 advantage in shots.
Lexi Stahl made three saves and had a steal for UC San Diego while Christine Carpenter and Jackie King combined for 10 stops.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego concludes play at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational Sunday with a 10:20 a.m. game against No. 4 Cal to determine fifth/sixth places.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
