March 6, 2011
Tournament Results
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior center Alicia Began posted a pair of hat tricks as 15th-ranked UC Davis claimed 10-3 wins against both Santa Clara and Pacific in the second day of action at the 31st-annual Aggie Shootout collegiate women's water polo at Schaal Aquatics Center Sunday.
The Aggies went 4-0 for the tournament, improving to 9-5 overall.
Sophomore Carmen Eggert had three goals against Santa Clara in the morning contest, then added two more versus Pacific, bringing her tournament-high weekend total to 11. Began's hat tricks are her first since scoring three against Colorado State in her freshman year.
Began scored on three straight possessions, all on assists from senior Ashley Chandler, to help UC Davis craft a 5-1 lead in the first quarter over the Broncos. The Aggies scored two more goals in the second their edge to 7-2 at halftime. Jessica Dunn converted an assist from Carey Faber on a 6-on-5 chance with 3:05 before the break. Then on the next possession, Dakotah Mohr drew an offensive foul near mid-tank, countered toward the SCU cage, then flipped laterally to teammate Ariel Feeney, who sent her shot into the net.
After Bronco Claire Eadington hit an extra-player shot to bring the tally to 7-3 in the third, Dunn assisted Eggert on two goals amidst a 3-0 run in the third to complete the scoring in the game. Santa Clara had an opportunity in the fourth, drawing a five-meter exclusion with 5:28 remaining. However, Aggie goalkeeper Rachel Tatusko stopped Taylor Harkins' penalty shot -- her second five-meter save in the tournament.
Against Pacific, Bethany Quertermous and Elise Martin hit goals early to lift the Tigers to a 2-1 lead midway in the first period. Kaylee Miller, who had assisted Dakotah Mohr on the game's first goal, found Eggert open at the 3 position. Eggert fired a missile into the cage for the equalizer with 1:35 in the period.
UC Davis piled up three straight goals in the second period, first on a Began shot from two meters, then on a Carey Faber 6-on-5 goal. With 4:34 remianing before the break, Faber assisted Began to bring the score to 5-2.
Tiger senior Mandy King scored from down low midway through the third period to reduce the deficit to two, but the Aggies answered with five unanswered the rest of the way. Michelle Hook, Eggert and Danelle Kenny each converted player-up opportunities down the stretch.
UC Davis returns to action at Sonoma State on Saturday, then hosts Harvard and Fresno Pacific as part of a March tripleheader prior to final examinations.
