UCI, UCSB can’t break tie

The UC Irvine women’s soccer team battled visiting UC Santa Barbara

to a 1-1 tie in a Big West Conference game Sunday.

Senior Hayley McNallan put the Anteaters ahead in the 14th minute,

putting in a rebound off a shot by freshman Briney Webster.

UCSB’s Darci Gwartz headed the ball past UCI goalkeeper Marissa

Welliver to convert a corner kick by Molly Martin for the equalizer

in the 38th minute.

Neither team could produce a score in two overtime periods.

Welliver made six saves and the Gauchos’ Jamie Considine made two.

UCI is now 6-3-3, 0-1-1 in conference, while UCSB is 6-3-3, 1-1-1.

The Anteaters travel to Cal State Northridge Friday, then will

visit the University of the Pacific Sunday.

Anteaters finish seventh

* WATER POLO: The UC Irvine men’s water polo defeated Long Beach

State, 11-8, in the seventh-place game of the Northern California

tournament Sunday at Stanford.

The Anteaters scored three unaswered goals, two by Nate White and

one by Rick Merlo, in a three-minute span of the fourth quarter to

break open the game.

White and Phil Garcia finished with three goals each while Merlo

and Dan Noon added two apiece for UCI.

Joe Wynne had five saves in goal for ninth-ranked UCI (8-8).

Third-quarter goals by White and Merlo gave UCI an 8-6 lead. The

49ers’ Jason Palda, a Corona del Mar High product, scored with 6:37

left in the game to close the gap to 8-7 before the Anteaters put the

game away.

David Del Grande led No. 6 Long Beach State with three goals and

Erik Geoffroy added two. LBSU goalie Thomas Onyshko had four saves.

Earlier Sunday, UCI lost to UC San Diego, 7-6, in a consolation

semifinal.

Chris Eicholz scored a power-play goal with 2:50 left in

regulation for the game-winner.

Noon and Merlo scored two each for UCI and Wynne had six saves.

Former Newport Harbor High standout Steven Jendrusina scored a

goal for the Tritons.

UCI returns to action at Pepperdine Saturday at noon.