SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- No. 3 UCLA (6-0) scored the first five goals of the game and cruised to a 13-8 win over No. 14 Arizona State (5-1) in the quarterfinals of the Triton Invitational on Saturday morning at UC San Diego's Triton Pool. UCLA improved to 31-2 all-time in the series history with the Sun Devils.
The Bruins had nine players score in the contest, paced by freshman Natasha Kieckhafer's first hat trick of her collegiate career. Senior Malia Allen (season high) and sophomore Taylor Smith (tied season high) were the only other Bruins to score multiple goals as each finished with two against ASU.
Freshman Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and played all but the final 1:52 of the game, recording eight saves and four steals, while allowing seven goals. Two of her saves came on Sun Devil penalty shots as ASU was awarded four during the game. Senior Sydney Chiang played the final 1:52, tallying one save while surrendering one power play goal.
The Bruins easily won the first period, 5-1. Kieckhafer opened the scoring with a power play goal off an assist by graduate student Hannah Palmer (6:40). Then freshman Panni Szegedi converted a penalty shot (5:57) that was drawn by sophomore Anna Pearson. Allen followed with her first score on a power play and another assist from Palmer (4:43) and Smith struck the back of the net from the front court for her first goal (4:16) to put UCLA up 4-0. Kieckhafer kept the scoring streak alive with her second goal of the quarter on a counter (3:56). ASU would end the scoring in the first by converting a penalty shot.
UCLA won the second quarter, 2-0, to take a 7-1 lead into the break. Pearson scored a goal from two meters off an assist from Allen (5:45) and then senior Anneliese Miller scored her first goal of the season (1:53) to end the scoring in the first half.
Arizona State won the third quarter, 4-3, to cut the Bruins' lead to 10-5 heading into the final stanza. The Sun Devils scored once on a penalty, twice on a power play and once on an empty net in the third as the Bruins' attempt to run a 7-on-6 was stopped and then countered. Smith scored her second goal of the game on a power play (5:45) to put UCLA up 8-3. Then Palmer followed with a counter score (4:38) to extend the lead to 9-3. Allen would net her second of the game on a counter as well (2:59) to push the lead to 10-3. ASU would answer with two goals (1:15 and 0:00) to end the scoring in the third period.
Both teams drew to a 3-3 tie in the fourth to provide the 13-8 final. Again ASU capitalized on Bruin miscues, scoring three power play goals in the fourth. Sophomore Genoa Rossi scored on a power play (6:45) that put the Bruins up 11-5. Kieckhafer's third goal came on a power play and snapped a two-goal scoring run for the Sun Devils (2:47) to make it 12-7. After a power play goal from ASU (1:34), sophomore Carly McMurray fired a shot past the ASU keeper from the front court (1:12) to end the scoring in the fourth.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will face No. 4 Hawai'i (5:40 p.m.) in the semifinals today as the Rainbow Wahine beat No. 16 UC Davis, 14-9, in their quarterfinal game.
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 14 Arizona State (Triton Invitational - Quarterfinals - Game 6)
6x5 - UCLA - 5/15 - ASU - 5/8
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - ASU - 2/4
ASU Goals: Luca Petovary 3, Millie Quin 2, Alexa Knutson 1, Sophie Shorter-Robinson 1, Alba Olivé Martí 1
ASU Saves: not available
UCLA Goals: Natasha Kieckhafer 3, Taylor Smith 2, Malia Allen 2, Carly McMurray 1, Hannah Palmer 1, Anneliese Miller 1, Genoa Rossi 1, Anna Pearson 1, Panni Szegedi 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 8, Sydney Chiang 1
The Bruins had nine players score in the contest, paced by freshman Natasha Kieckhafer's first hat trick of her collegiate career. Senior Malia Allen (season high) and sophomore Taylor Smith (tied season high) were the only other Bruins to score multiple goals as each finished with two against ASU.
Freshman Lauren Steele got the start in the cage and played all but the final 1:52 of the game, recording eight saves and four steals, while allowing seven goals. Two of her saves came on Sun Devil penalty shots as ASU was awarded four during the game. Senior Sydney Chiang played the final 1:52, tallying one save while surrendering one power play goal.
The Bruins easily won the first period, 5-1. Kieckhafer opened the scoring with a power play goal off an assist by graduate student Hannah Palmer (6:40). Then freshman Panni Szegedi converted a penalty shot (5:57) that was drawn by sophomore Anna Pearson. Allen followed with her first score on a power play and another assist from Palmer (4:43) and Smith struck the back of the net from the front court for her first goal (4:16) to put UCLA up 4-0. Kieckhafer kept the scoring streak alive with her second goal of the quarter on a counter (3:56). ASU would end the scoring in the first by converting a penalty shot.
UCLA won the second quarter, 2-0, to take a 7-1 lead into the break. Pearson scored a goal from two meters off an assist from Allen (5:45) and then senior Anneliese Miller scored her first goal of the season (1:53) to end the scoring in the first half.
Arizona State won the third quarter, 4-3, to cut the Bruins' lead to 10-5 heading into the final stanza. The Sun Devils scored once on a penalty, twice on a power play and once on an empty net in the third as the Bruins' attempt to run a 7-on-6 was stopped and then countered. Smith scored her second goal of the game on a power play (5:45) to put UCLA up 8-3. Then Palmer followed with a counter score (4:38) to extend the lead to 9-3. Allen would net her second of the game on a counter as well (2:59) to push the lead to 10-3. ASU would answer with two goals (1:15 and 0:00) to end the scoring in the third period.
Both teams drew to a 3-3 tie in the fourth to provide the 13-8 final. Again ASU capitalized on Bruin miscues, scoring three power play goals in the fourth. Sophomore Genoa Rossi scored on a power play (6:45) that put the Bruins up 11-5. Kieckhafer's third goal came on a power play and snapped a two-goal scoring run for the Sun Devils (2:47) to make it 12-7. After a power play goal from ASU (1:34), sophomore Carly McMurray fired a shot past the ASU keeper from the front court (1:12) to end the scoring in the fourth.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will face No. 4 Hawai'i (5:40 p.m.) in the semifinals today as the Rainbow Wahine beat No. 16 UC Davis, 14-9, in their quarterfinal game.
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 14 Arizona State (Triton Invitational - Quarterfinals - Game 6)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 14 ASU | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| No. 3 UCLA | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - ASU - 2/4
ASU Goals: Luca Petovary 3, Millie Quin 2, Alexa Knutson 1, Sophie Shorter-Robinson 1, Alba Olivé Martí 1
ASU Saves: not available
UCLA Goals: Natasha Kieckhafer 3, Taylor Smith 2, Malia Allen 2, Carly McMurray 1, Hannah Palmer 1, Anneliese Miller 1, Genoa Rossi 1, Anna Pearson 1, Panni Szegedi 1
UCLA Saves: Lauren Steele 8, Sydney Chiang 1