Feb. 27, 2011

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Sophomore attacker Jessica Dunn scored three goals to lead 17th-ranked UC Davis to an 8-5 upset of 13th-ranked Cal State Northridge in the 13th-place game of the UC Irvine Invitational women's water polo tournament at Corona Del Mar High School Sunday evening. Dunn also netted a pair of goals as Aggies clipped former conference rival UC San Diego, 10-9, to advance in the consolation bracket earlier in the day.

UC Davis, which was seeded 14th in the tough UCI Invite field, evens its record to 5-5.

Dunn's hat trick helped the Aggies protect a three-goal halftime lead against the Matadors. CSUN closed the gap to 6-4 through three quarters but managed just one more score in the fourth. The five Matador goals represents the lowest opponent output since UC Davis beat Cal State Bakersfield, 13-3, on the first day of the season. Michelle Hook, Carey Faber, Kaylee Miller, Alicia Began and Carmen Eggert also scored one goal each for the Aggies.

UC Davis never trailed against the Matadors, drawing first blood on Hook's goal in the opening minute of the second quarter, then scoring three straight toward a 4-1 halftime lead. CSUN All-American Whitney Delgado scored an exclusion goal and a five-meter penalty shot to cut the Aggie lead to 4-3 early in the third period, but Dunn's 6-on-5 conversion followed by a Faber goal pushed UC Davis back to a three-goal cushion with two minutes remaining in the frame.

In earlier action, Dunn and junior Ariel Feeney each scored two goals to help UC Davis overcome a 5-3 halftime deficit against the Tritons. The Aggies piled up four scores in the the third then overtook their former Western Water Polo Association foes with a 3-1 edge in the fourth quarter. Hook, Miller, Eggert, Dakotah Mohr and Ashley Chandler each tallied goals for UC Davis. Chandler, coincidentally a CDM grad playing in her old pool, was less than one day removed from helping the Aggie women's swimming and diving team capture its conference crown in Long Beach.

UC Davis did not take its first lead against UC San Diego until the fourth quarter when Chandler's goal at 5:52 equalized the score to 8-8 then Mohr delivered the go-ahead exactly one minute later. The Tritons evened the tally at 9-9 on Hanalei Crowell's successful penalty shot but Feeney answered with a 6-on-5 goal on the next Aggie possesseion with three minutes remaining.

Aggie sophomore Riane Woods tallied seven saves against UCSD then added two more stops in a fourth-period relief stint against CSUN. Rachel Tatusko also saw cage time against the Matadors, delivering five saves in her first start.

UC Davis returns to action at its own Aggie Shootout on March 5 and 6. Sonoma State, Cal State East Bay, Pacific and Santa Clara will also take part in the two-day, seven-game event.

2011 UC IRVINE INVITATIONAL, DAY TWO
UC Davis games only.

GOALS - UCSD: Melissa Bartow 3, Hanalei Crowell 2, Katherine Biehle 2, Kristen Bates 1, Jessica Tran 1. UC Davis: Ariel Feeney 2, Jessica Dunn 2, Michelle Hook 1, Ashley Chandler 1, Kaylee Miller 1, Dakotah Mohr 1, Carmen Eggert 1.

GOALIE SAVES - UCSD: Kirsten Oshtosh 3. UC Davis: Riane Woods 7.

GOALS - UC Davis: Jessica Dunn 3, Michelle Hook 1, Carey Faber 1, Kaylee Miller 1, Alicia Began 1, Carmen Eggert 1. CSUN: Whitney Delgado 2, Jenny Jamison 1, Jessica Goforth 1, Heidi Pettinger 1.

GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Riane Woods 2, Rachel Tatusko 5. CSUN: Nicole Concialdi 10.