Feb. 27, 2010
IRVINE, Calif. - Junior driver Caitlin Haskell connected on a goal in the final minute to lift 11th-ranked UC Irvine to a 9-8 win over No. 15 UC Davis in the final Day 1 contest at the UC Irvine Invitational women's water polo tournament Saturday night. The Aggies lost to No. 4 California, 13-5, earlier in Saturday's action.
UC Davis drops to 6-8 for the season.
Freshman Jessica Dunn scored three goals to lead the Aggies against the host Anteaters, while five other UC Davis players hit one goal each. Dunn converted a pair of five-meter penalty shots in the first period, while senior Dana Nelsen finished a 6-on-5 chance in the second as the Aggies trailed by a 5-3 margin at the break.
In the third period, sophomore Kaylee Miller punched in an extra-player goal at the 2:02 mark to bring the UCI lead to 6-5, then Alicia Began tied the game with her goal a minute later. After slipping behind by a goal early in the seventh, UC Davis re-tied the game when Dunn completed her hat trick at 6:01 in the fourth, then took an 8-7 lead on Lyndsay Sutterley's goal near the four-minute mark. However, Anteater freshman Jessy Cardey knotted the game for a fifth time with her 6-on-5 goal with 2:25 remaining, then Haskell hit her game-winner with 45 ticks to go.
Coincidentally, the Aggies' early game against Cal also featured a 5-3 halftime deficit. Nelsen and sophomore Ariel Feeney scored a pair of goals down the stretch of the second quarter to pull the Aggies to within two heading into the break, then Nelsen netted her second goal midway in the third period -- also cutting the opposing lead to 6-4. However, the Golden Bears scored four straight into the final quarter to pull away with the win.
Sophomore Carey Faber and freshman Carly Ternasky also had goals against Cal. Senior goalkeeper Casey Hines picked up eight saves in each of the two Aggie games. Freshman Jennifer Docto and senior Meghan Corso both performed hat tricks to lead the Golden Bear scorers. Four UCI players each had two goals in the evening contest.
The UC Irvine Invitational annually features the toughest field of any women's collegiate tournament, including the NCAA Championships. All but one of the country's top 15 teams participate in the event.
UC Davis continues tournament action against Long Beach State at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday.
WOMEN'S WATER POLO - UC IRVINE INVITATIONAL
UC Davis games only.
| No. 15 UC Davis | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | 5 |
| No. 4 California | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | - | 13 |
GOALS - UC Davis: Dana Nelsen 2, Carey Faber 1, Ariel Feeney 1, Carly Ternasky 1. Cal: Jennifer Docto 3, Meghan Corso 3, Breda Vosters 2, Julie Oreglia 1, Stephanie Schnugg 1, Erin Scully 1, Kirsten Mase 1, Taylor Dodson 1.
GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Casey Hines 8. Cal: Stephanie Peckham 12, Elizabeth Layton 1.
| No. 15 UC Davis | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | 8 |
| No. 11 UC Irvine | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | - | 9 |
GOALS - UC Davis: Jessica Dunn 3, Dana Nelsen 1, Michelle Hook 1, Kaylee Miller 1, Lyndsay Sutterley 1, Alicia Began 1. UCI: Jessy Cardey 2, Cortney Collyer 2, Kelsey Klatt 2, Caitlin Haskell 2, Trudy Chancellor 1.
GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Casey Hines 8. UCI: Morgan Vickers 8.
