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IRVINE, Calif. – No. 3 UCLA (12-1) won a pair of games at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine on Friday, Feb. 24, to advance to the semifinals. The Bruins opened with a 19-5 win over No. 22 San Diego State (3-6) in the afternoon and then defeated No. 15 UC Santa Barbara (11-4), 14-4, in the nightcap. It was UCLA's second win over both teams this season.
In the win over the Aztecs, the Bruins opened with a 3-0 lead and never looked back, leading 11-4 at the break and then won the second half, 8-1, to provide the 19-5 final. Senior Hannah Palmer and freshman Taylor Smith paced the Bruins' offense, each scoring a hat trick.
A total of 11 Bruins got into the scoring column in the win, including two goals each from sophomore Emma Lineback and freshmen Sienna Green, Molly Renner, and Genoa Rossi.
Junior Sydney Chiang got the start in the cage and went the distance, recording six saves while allowing five goals.
In the win over the Gauchos, the Bruins broke open a 1-1 tie with a 7-0 scoring run and built a 10-4 lead at the half. UCLA won the second half 4-0 to provide the 14-4 final.
Nine Bruins scored in the game against UCSB, including a team-high two goals by graduate student Val Ayala, sophomores Emma Lineback and Molly Renner, and freshmen Anna Pearson and Sienna Green.
Redshirt senior Georgia Phillips got the start in the cage and played the entire game, registering a season-high-tying 10 saves while allowing four goals.
The Bruins return to action tomorrow at 5:15 when they take on No. 2 USC in the second semifinal.
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 22 San Diego State (Barbara Kalbus Invitational)
Irvine, Calif. (Anteater Aquatics Complex)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 22 SDSU | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 4 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 19 |
6x5 – UCLA: 8/11, SDSU: 2/9
Penalty Shots – UCLA: 1/2, SDSU: 0/0
SDSU Goals: Klara Goldstein 2, Claudia Valdes 1, Amanda Legaspi 1, Hannah Bell 1
SDSU Saves: Tiaare Ahovelo 4, Mandy Lagerlof 3
UCLA Goals: Hannah Palmer 3, Taylor Smith 3, Sienna Green 2, Emma Lineback 2, Molly Renner 2, Genoa Rossi 2, Fiona Kuesis 1, Lily Gess 1, Ava Johnson 1, Anna Pearson 1, Nicole Struss 1
UCLA Saves: Sydney Chiang 6
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 15 UC Santa Barbara (Barbara Kalbus Invitational)
Irvine, Calif. (Anteater Aquatics Complex)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 15 UCSB | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
6x5 – UCLA: 5/9, UCSB: 3/8
Penalty Shots – UCLA: 1/1, UCSB: 0/1
UCSB Goals: Caitlyn Snyder 1, Drew Halvorson 1, Cami Mras 1, Emily Ferguson 1
UCSB Saves: Madison Walker 12
UCLA Goals: Val Ayala 2, Sienna Green 2, Emma Lineback 2, Molly Renner 2, Anna Pearson 2, Hannah Palmer 1, Taylor Smith 1, Katrina Drake 1, Genoa Rossi 1
UCLA Saves: Georgia Phillips 10