LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Jordan Naughton and Lang Csira both scored three-times to notch hat-tricks and share Player of the Game laurels as defending National Champion/Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 1-ranked the University of California overpowered New England Division Champion/No. 11 Boston University, 15-4, in the first quarterfinal at the 2023 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
Competing at the University of California-Los Angeles’ Spieker Aquatics Center, the Golden Bears made the home of the Bruins their den by outscoring the Terriers by counts of 6-0 and 5-2 in the first and second quarters, respectively, to open up an 11-2 halftime lead which Boston University was unable to overcome in the second half.
Courtesy the win, California advances into the tournament semifinals where the Golden Bears will meet the victor of a quarterfinal pitting the Wolverines of Big Ten Division Champion/No. 2 the University of Michigan and the Huskies of Northwest Division Champion/No. 13 the University of Washington. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m. later today.
Due to the loss, Boston University falls into the consolation side of the bracket and will meet the loser of the Michigan-Washington game at 2:50 p.m. with a berth in the Fifth Place game on the line.
California effectively decided the game in the first quarter as Naughton (6:42; 5:13), Livy Selden (6:05), Rachel McCarty (5:49) and Kylie Walker (3:45; 3:28, man-up) combined for a 6-0 outburst to put the Golden Bears comfortably in front after seven minutes.
The margin grew to 8-0 in the first three minutes of the second quarter as Csira (5:31) and Naughton (4:36) flipped in shots.
Boston University’s Emily Johnson broke up the shutout try at the 4:05 mark prior to McCarty (3:36, man-up) and Csira (2:53) denting the twine to break into double-digits at 10-1. Johnson struck again with a man-up marker a 2:15 prior to Maya Mohebbizadeh (51 seconds) capping off the Golden Bears’ first half offense for an 11-2 advantage on the scoreboard.
Both teams tacked on single goals in the third quarter as Juju Clark lined in a five-meter penalty shot (6:40), while Sabrina Morata deposited a natural score with 22 seconds remaining for a 12-3 differential heading into the fourth quarter.
California further padded its lead in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter as Csira (6:45), Selden (6:07) and Megan Slovatizki (3:44) flushed shots prior to Morata closing the game with one final Terriers’ tally for the 15-4 final score.
For Boston University, Johnson and Morata both scored twice to account for all the Terriers’ offense. Melissa Sakalas (three) and Ulrika Brameus (nine) combined for 12 saves over the duration of the contest.
Csira (three), Naughton (three), Walker (two), McCarty (two) and Selden (two) all slipped in multiple goals for California with Mohebbizadeh, Clark and Slovatizki notching solo strikes. Georgia Stebbins picked up the win in cage with six saves.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 11 Boston University |
0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 4 |
| No. 1 University of California | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | – | 15 |
| California Goals: | Lang Csira (3); Jordan Naughton (3); Kyle Walker (2); Rachel McCarty (2); Livy Selden (2); Maya Mohebbizadeh; Juju Clark; Megan Slovatizki | |||||
| Boston University Goals: | Emily Johnson (2); Sabrina Morata (2) | |||||
| Saves: | California – Georgia Stebbins (6) ; Boston University – Melissa Sakalas (3, 14 minutes), Ulrika Brameus (9, 14 minutes) | |||||
| Exclusions: | California – 7 ; Boston University – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | California – 3-for-7 ; Boston University – 1-for-7 | |||||
| Sprints: | California – 4-for-4; Boston University – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | California – None ; Boston University – None | |||||
| Officials: | Unknown | |||||
Boston University’s Jade Chismar (#4) looks for an opening as the University of California’s Lang Csira (#5) defends
Boston University’s Sabrina Morata (#19) lines up a shot as the University of California’s Lang Csira (#5) defends
Boston University’s Sabrina Morata (#19) defends the University of California’s Kylie Walker (#6)
