Sept. 27, 2009
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Freshman Colin Hicks scored the go-ahead goal midway in the fourth to help No. 15 UC Davis erase a two-goal deficit and capture an 8-7 win over No. 10 Santa Clara in the final game of the Bronco Invitational collegiate men's water polo tournament Sunday afternoon at Sullivan Aquatic Center. Combined with an 8-3 victory over Whittier earlier in the day, the Aggies went a perfect 4-0 for the weekend, all against Western Water Polo Association opponents.
UC Davis moves to 9-4 for the season and 8-2 against the WWPA. Furthermore, the win over host SCU will help supersede a 9-4 loss to the Broncos one week earlier at the NorCal Invite.
Hicks' goal finished a run of three straight scores after junior defender Mitchell Klipa's 6-on-5 conversion put the Broncos up by a 7-5 edge early in the fourth. Juniors Cory Lyle and Matt Richardson netted goals at the 5:29 and 4:14 marks to tie the game. Then after drawing a 6-on-5 opportunity at the 3:26 mark, Hicks hit his game-winner at the end of the 20-second exclusion.
Lyle scored two goals in the win over SCU, with Jim Breen, Carlos Martinez, Jared Clapham and Ryan Hagens also adding one each. The Aggies led 3-1 through the first period, then 4-3 at the break. SCU took its first lead on the opening possession of the final quarter on a goal by sophomore driver Daley Meistrell.
In Sunday's earlier action, Breen landed two goals and Martinez, Hicks, Lyle, Russell Hampton, Luke Collins and Anders MacCarthy tallied one apiece to account for the UC Davis scoring. The two teams matched goal-for-goal in a 2-2 first period before the Aggies scored a run of six straight during the second period and most of the third.
UC Davis continues to take on WWPA opponents on Friday and Saturday with road games at No. 13 UC San Diego and No. 5 Loyola Marymount.
BRONCO INVITATIONAL WATER POLO TOURNAMENT
Sullivan Aquatic Center - Santa Clara, Calif.
| Whittier (5-7) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 3 |
| No. 15 UC Davis (8-4) | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | 8 |
GOALS - WC: Alex Perry 2, Nihei 1. UC Davis: Jim Breen 2, Carlos Martinez 1, Russell Hampton 1, Luke Collins 1, Colin Hicks 1, Anders MacCarthy 1, Cory Lyle 1.
| No. 15 UC Davis (9-4) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | 8 |
| No. 10 Santa Clara (1-3) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - | 7 |
GOALS - UC Davis: Cory Lyle 2, Matt Richardson 1, Jim Breen 1, Carlos Martinez 1, Jared Clapham 1, Colin Hicks 1, Ryan Hagens 1, SCU: Jack Wall 3, Stephen Hobbs 1, Daley Meistrell 1, Mitchell Klipa 1, Jack Penner 1.
