UCLA's Christina Gallardo scored twice & had the dramatic steal to send the game to overtime

GRESHAM, Ore. (May 3, 2008) - Jennifer Shah (Jr., Yuma, Ariz.) slipped behind the University of California-Los Angeles defense with 1:17 left in the second three-minute overtime period to bury her second goal of the game as the No. 5-nationally ranked University of Arizona Wildcats survived a nail-biter against No. 9 UCLA to secure a berth in the championship semifinals at the 2008 National Collegiate Club Championship at Mt. Hood Community College.

The Wildcats will next face No. 2 ranked California Polytechnic State University at 9:50 p.m. this evening for a spot in the national championship game, while UCLA will meet No. 19 Middlebury College at 7:30 for a berth in the fifth place game.

In a game in which neither team led by more than three goals, Arizona and UCLA battled tooth-and-nail for the duration of the 34 minute face-off as the teams combined for 23 goals, 20 steals, 12 saves and 63 shots.

Trailing 9-7 entering the fourth period, UCLA began a dramatic comeback to force the game into overtime as Adele Young (Fr., Long Beach, Calif.) skipped a shot past Arizona netminder Rachel Nau (Sr., Danville, Calif.) at the 2:58 mark to pull the Bruins to within 9-8.

Arizona appeared to extinquish any hopes of a comeback as Janine Whitmore (So., Tucson, Ariz.) unleashed a blast which eluded UCLA goalie Samantha Lim (Fr., Los Angeles, Calif.) with 2:22 to play, but the Bruins would not go quietly into the night as Samantha Ellis (Fr., Sunnyvale, Calif.) beat Nau with a crossing shot to put UCLA within 10-9 with 22 seconds left on the game clock.

Needing a miracle to force overtime, UCLA instead received a steal as Catrina Gallardo (So., Modesto, Calif.) saved the contest for the Bruins picking off a pass from Nau near mid-tank and hitting Young in stride with a pass as she flipped in a shot to a wide open Wildcats' goal to tie the game at 10-all with eight seconds showing on the clock and force the contest into overtime.

The Wildcats struck first in the extra time as Justine Hedlund (Jr., Portola Valley, Calif.) found the back of the cage with 1:38 left in the first three-minute extra period to put Arizona in front 11-10, but the Bruins roared back behind another goal from Young at the 1:16 mark to retie the game and set up Shah's game-winner.

Arizona and UCLA were nip-tuck the entire contest as neither team could pull away from the other until the Wildcats reeled off three goals in the final 5:02 of the second period to carry a 6-3 lead into halftime.

The Bruins trimmed the lead down to 6-5 with 3:55 left in the third period as Gallardo scored at even strength (4:48) and on an exclusion opportunity at 3:55, but Arizona reeled off goals at 3:10, 1:44 and 29 seconds to carry a two goal margin into the fourth period.

Overall, Young led all scorers with a tournament high six-goals for UCLA, while Hedlund notched four markers and an assist to key the Wildcats' attack.

UCLA Goals -- Adele Young (6); Samantha Ellis (2); Catrinia Gallardo (2): Kelli Bouman

Arizona Goals -- Justine Hedlund (4); Cami Kliner (2); Janine Whitmore (2); Jennifer Shah (2); Patricia White (2)

UCLA Assists -- None

Arizona Assists -- Justine Hedlund

UCLA Steals -- Catrina Gallardo (6); Samantha Ellis (3); Samantha Lim (2); Eillen Shu

Arizona Steals -- Patricia White (3); Shelly Gogol (3); Justine Hedlund; Rachel Rodia

Saves: UCLA - Samantha Lim (7) ; Arizona - Rachel Nau (5)

Ejections: UCLA - 4 ; Arizona - 14

Shots: UCLA - 32 ; Arizona - 31

Sprints: UCLA - 3 ; Arizona - 3