A late four-goal run wasn’t enough as UC San Diego saw its season end Saturday following a 12-6 semifinal loss to UC Irvine at the Big West Women’s Water Polo Championship.
Libby Alexander, Elena Flynn and Jessica Lynch all had two goals for UC Irvine. Lynch also assisted on three goals.
The 12th-ranked and fourth-seeded Tritons conclude their 2023 campaign at 14-17.
UCI, ranked fourth nationally and the tournament’s top seed, improved to 19-6. The Anteaters will play for the Big West title Sunday against Hawai’i.
The Rainbow Wahine are ranked fifth and seeded second in the conference tournament.
To make the semis, freshman Maja Layden scored with three seconds left in Friday’s game to propel UCSD past UC Davis, 9-8 in a Big West quarterfinal.
With its fifth-straight win, the fourth-seeded Tritons advance and will take on top-seeded UC Irvine in a semifinal Saturday at 11 a.m. at UC Santa Barbara’s Campus Pool.
UC San Diego moved to 14-16 overall. UC Davis, the tourney’s fifth seed, ends its season at 15-14.
Tied 8-8, the Tritons decided to pull starting goalkeeper Lexi Stahl and replace her with Layden as an extra attacker. Layden collected a pass from fellow freshman Sofia Munatones and buried a shot into the top-left corner of the cage. The shot, which came from four meters out, sailed by a defender’s extended arm and beat the UCD goalie to her right.
Neither team led by more than one goal during the tightly-contested game. There were eight tie scores. UC San Diego led a total of five times, while UC Davis had the advantage on four occasions.
With 4:08 left in the fourth quarter, UCD’s Alyssa Lengtat scored to put the Aggies up, 7-6. UC San Diego retaliated by netting two consecutive goals – the first on a five-meter penalty shot by Carolina Christl, the second on a power play strike by Munatones. With 29 ticks left on the clock, Ally Clague scored to knot the score yet again, this time at 8-8.
Stahl had a stellar game in net, making 11 saves and recording her 45th steal of the year, the second-most by any Big West athlete.
Updated 8 p.m. April 29, 2023
