March 5, 2016
IRVINE, Calif. - Caroline Israels scored with four seconds left in overtime to tie the game, but No. 18 San Diego State ultimately fell at T-No. 6 UC Irvine, 6-5, in sudden death overtime Saturday afternoon at Anteater Aquatics Center.
Regulation ended with the score tied at 4-4 and the first overtime period was looking like the score would hold. The Anteaters' Hanna Lancaster, however, found the back of the net with eight seconds left to propel UCI to a 5-4 lead.
After the teams switched ends, it appeared UC Irvine (11-7) would escape with the win in OT, but Israels connected on a tough shot with four seconds left to level the score at 5-5 to force sudden death overtime.
Sticking with the theme of goals scored late in the period, UCI and SDSU (6-9) played a scoreless two minutes in sudden death until Gabby Pierandozzi posted the game-winner with 58 seconds left.
The Aztecs, who trailed 1-0 after one quarter, led at halftime, 3-1, thanks to three second-quarter goals from from Israels (2) and Makena Magro (1). In the third, UC Irvine tied the score with single tallies from Mary Brooks and Pierandozzi. Then in the final quarter, Pierandozzi gave the Anteaters the lead before Israels provided the OT-inducing goal with 44 seconds left.
At the final horn, Israels led all players with four goals and Magro added one for San Diego State. Rachel Mitchell was solid in net for the Aztecs, recording 14 saves, including five in the first quarter.
SDSU returns to action on Saturday when it plays host to the two-day Aztec Invitational. Games start at 9 a.m., but the Aztecs will play at 11:30 a.m. vs. Harvard. San Diego State's second game on Saturday will be vs. Princeton at 4 p.m. Admission is free and Be A Hero Become A Donor will be on hand both days to host a bone marrow donor registration. For more information, please visit www.bahbad.org.
T-No. 6 UC Irvine 6, No. 18 San Diego State 5 (sudden death overtime)
Anteater Aquatics Center; Irvine, Calif.
SDSU 0-3-0-0—1-1---0----5
UCI 1-0-0-2—1-1---1----6
SDSU goals: Israels 4, Magro 1
UCI goals: Pierandozzi 3, Brooks 1, Lancaster 1, Toledo 1
SDSU saves: Mitchell 14
UCI saves: Nelson 6