April 17, 2010

DAVIS, Calif. - Juniors Kathryn Nelson and Christie Clark each scored three goals to lead No. 12 UC Santa Barbara to a 10-6 victory over No. 17 UC Davis in Big West Conference women's water polo action at Schaal Aquatics Center Saturday.

The Aggies slip to 15-16 overall and 1-4 in conference games. The Gauchos improve to 17-9 for the year and 3-1 in Big West play.

Sophomore Carey Faber and freshman Carmen Eggert led UC Davis offensively with two goals each. Sophomores Lyndsay Sutterley and Alicia Began also added goals. For UCSB, Lizzie Rouleau provided a pair of goals.

Nelson scored two goals in the first quarter to send the Gauchos to a 3-1 lead after eight minutes. She converted a 6-on-5 chance in the opening minute then struck again at the 3:29 mark. Freshman Jessica Dunn assisted Faber on an extra-man goal at 4:04 to put the Aggies on the board.

Eggert cut the deficit to one goal when she won inside water on her UCSB defender and planted a shot into the net. Both teams effectively guarded their two meters for most of the quarter before Nelson finished her hat trick on another 6-on-5 chance with 32 seconds remaining in the half. Rouleau then made it 5-2 for the Gauchos, elevating high above the surface in front of the Aggie cage, then redirecting the ball into the net an exclusion opportunity.

Clark hit back-to-back goals early in the third to extend the UCSB lead to 7-2. She finished a counterattack at the 6:01 mark then hit an outside shot a minute later.

After Rouleau gave the Gauchos their largest lead on the first possession of the fourth, UC Davis managed three straight goals to stage a comeback effort. Began scored a 6-on-5 goal on a putback at the 6:46 mark, then Eggert converted a pass from Feeney a minute later to bring the score to 9-5. Eggert blocked a shot on the next possession, which set the stage for a Smith-to-Sutterley counterattack finish at the other end, knocking the Gaucho lead to three.

Michelle Beaudreau added another Gaucho advantage-time goal with 3:40 remaining, and UC Davis was unable to close the gap down the stretch.

UC Santa Barbara connected on 10 of 24 in the game, while the Aggies struggled to 6-for-29 shooting.

UC Davis honored senior student-athletes Casey Hines, Dana Nelsen and Cara Schoeman prior to Saturday's game. The contest also was part of the university's 96th-annual Picnic Day. In fact, the game was mildly distracted by a demonstration of a rescue chopper in the adjacent field.

The Aggies return to action at the Big West Conference Championship, held at Long Beach State on April 23-25.

GOALS - UCSB: Kathryn Nelson 3, Christie Clark 3, Lizzie Rouleau 2, Elle Quane 1, Michelle Beaudreau 1. UC Davis: Carey Faber 2, Carmen Eggert 2, Lyndsay Sutterley 1, Alicia Began 1.

GOALIES - UCSB: Ruth Milne 10 saves, 6 goals against (32:00). UC Davis: Casey Hines 5 saves, 10 goals against (32:00).