HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Natalie Kaplanyan (Fr., Glendale, Calif.) scored three times as No. 4-ranked/Southwest Division Champion the University of California-San Diego struck down No. 16/Southeast Division runner-up the University of Central Florida, 8-3, in the opening round of the 2022 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
The victory advances the Tritons into the quarterfinals at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, as UC-San Diego will take on the winner of a first round meeting between Division III No. 3/North Atlantic Division Champion the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and No. 10/Texas Division Champion Texas A&M University. Central Florida will battle the fallen from the MIT-Texas A&M game at 7:30 p.m. this evening in the consolation side of the bracket.
Making only the second appearance at the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship in program history – following a Fifth Place mark in 2018 at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore. – UC-San Diego jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the conclusion of the first quarter versus the Lady Knights as Gaia Hinds (Sr., Malibu, Calif.) (4:15, penalty shot), Amanda Martilla (So., Canyon Lake, Calif.) (2:25, man-up; 1:00) and Kaplanyan (15 seconds) ticked off four consecutive markers to acquire a commanding lead.
The Tritons were unable to build upon their margin in the second quarter, while UCF got on the board via a scoring volley by Tess Buccarelli (Hollywood, Fla.) at 1:36 to move the Lady Knights within 4-1 heading into halftime.
UC-San Diego got the goal back with insurance in the first two minutes of the third quarter as Nadia Alcaraz (Fr., Lake Elsinore, Calif.) and Hinds lined in shots at 5:50 and 4:57, respectively, to expand the gap between the programs to 6-1.
Buccarelli trimmed UCF’s deficit back to four at 6-2 with 2:34 on the clock, but Kaplanyan spun in a response with 23 seconds remaining to establish a 7-2 score heading into the fourth quarter.
Buccarelli (6:21) and Kaplanyan (1:53) were the lone athletes to tickle the twine over the final seven minutes of regulation as the Tritons guaranteed themselves a Top Eight finish in the final 16-team tournament standings.
Buccarelli accounted for all of Central Florida’s offense by putting away shots in the second, third and fourth quarters. In cage, Samantha Horency (Orlando, Fla.) turned aside seven shots in taking the loss.
The loss prevents UCF from posting a Top Eight finish at the championship as the team will attempt to win its next three games and add a Ninth Place mark to a history that includes Second (2013), Fifth (2017), Eighth (2010), 10th (2015) and 11th (2009) place finishes.
Kaplanyan (three), Hinds (two) and Martilla (two) accounted for seven-eighths of UC-San Diego’s offense with Alcaraz notching a solo marker. Lian Lumada (Sr., Long Beach, Calif.) earned the win between the pipes with four saves.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 16 University of Central Florida |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 |
| No. 4 University of California-San Diego | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 8 |
| UCSD Goals: | Natalie Kaplanyan (3); Amanda Martilla (2); Gaia Hinds (2); Nadia Alcaraz | |||||
| UCF Goals: | Tess Buccarelli (3) | |||||
| Saves: | UCSD – Lian Lumada (4) ; UCF – Samantha Horency (7) | |||||
| Exclusions: | UCSD – 2 ; UCF -7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | UCSD – 2-for-7 ; UCF – 1-for-2 | |||||
| Sprints: | UCSD – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) ; UCF – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – UCF (Head coach Inigo Velasco Elordi, 4:57 left in 3rd Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Mark Kessler, Dustin Devaney | |||||
University of California-San Diego’s Gaia Hinds (#5) defends the University of Central Florida’s Toriana Thind (#8)
The University of California-San Diego’s Brittany Ayala (#11) attempts to block a shot by the University of Central Florida’s Tess Buccarelli (#13)
The University of California-San Diego’s Nadia Alcaraz (#3) gets double-teamed by the University of Central Florida’s Tally Chamelin (#19) and Tess Buccarelli (#13)
