March 2, 2003

Irvine, Calif. - The No. 5 California women's water polo team (5-3, 1-1) claimed its second conference win of the season, defeating No. 18 UC Irvine, 7-3, this afternoon March 2 at the Anteater Aquatics Center in Irvine. Sophomore center Jodie Needles paced the Golden Bear attack with four goals.

Cal took a 1-0 lead in the first minute of play as Needles tallied her first score of the afternoon at the 6:06 mark. But two minutes later Anteater junior Erica Horman tied the game at one apiece. That was as close as UC Irvine would get as the Golden Bears rallied to score four unanswered goals to take a 5-1 lead at the break. Included in the scoring run were two more goals from Needles and a goal apiece from freshman Allison Gold and sophomore Cara Chlebicki.

The third period began with a defensive struggle, as neither side was able to find the back of the net until over four minutes into the action. UC Irvine inched within three goals, 5-2, as junior Lauren Volcan started the scoring with her first of two goals on the afternoon. The Bears rallied back with two consecutive scores, though, as Needles and Chlebicki extended Cal's lead to 7-2. Volcan tallied her final goal with 18 seconds left in the third period to bring the Anteaters within four, 7-3.

In the final period of action the two squads traded back-and-forth scores, but it wasn't enough for UC Irvine as the Golden Bears' lead proved insurmountable. Junior attacker Michelle Rustin tallied her first goal of the year and Lindy Spieker her second as Cal cruised to a 9-5 conference win and a 5-3 overall record.

With her four goals on the afternoon, Needles now leads the squad with 17 goals on the year, nine more goals than Chlebicki has in second place.

Cal returns to action Friday - Saturday, March 7-8 as the Bears travel to Santa Barbara to take part in the Gaucho Invitational.

BOX SCORE:

	   1	     2	3	4	T
CAL (5-3)   3	     2	2	2	9
UCI (7-8)   1	     0	2	2	5

CAL Scoring: Jodie Needles 4, Lindy Spieker 1, Allison Gold 1, Michelle Rustin 1, Cara Chlebicki 1, Natalie Nelson 1. UCI Scoring: Erica Horman 2, Lauren Volcan 2, Meghan O'Donnell 1. Goalie Saves: Lauren Dennis (CAL) 1, Alex Feune de Colombi (CAL) 2; Sun Chamblee (UCI) 8.