Sept. 3, 2011

BERKELEY, Calif. - Senior center Aaron Salit scored a total of eight goals as No. 13 UC Davis lost to a pair of top-five opponents at the Golden Bear Invitational men's water polo tournament Saturday. The Aggies lost to 2nd-ranked host California, 16-15, in the morning matchup; then a tight 8-7 battle to No. 5 Pacific in afternoon action.

UC Davis opens the year at 0-2.

Salit, a returning honorable mention All-American, posted four of team's five goals in the morning loss to the Golden Bears. Redshirt freshman Trevor Allen accounted for the fifth goal, while senior goalkeeper Kevin Peat tallied eight saves. UC Davis fell behind by 6-2 in the first quarter and was outscored by an 8-2 margin after the break.

However, the Aggies rebounded with a strong performance in the afternoon match with Pacific. Salit scored four more goals, while Luke Collins, Stuart Dooley and Bernie Rogers each had one. Peat finished with nine saves and a pair of steals in front of the cage.

After the Tigers drew first blood in the match, Collins converted an assist from Kevin Meisel to equalize in the first quarter. Pacific led 2-1 heading in the second before Salit scored back-to-back goals from down low, giving UC Davis the lead with just under six minutes to go. The Aggies protected the 3-2 edge into halftime.

The Tigers regained the lead early in the third before Salit competed his hat trick on a 6-on-5 opportunity with 2:38 remaining in the period. Dooley, normally known for his defensive contributions, scored from the 3-spot with a minute left to give UC Davis a 5-4 lead. However, in the final seconds of the third, Pacific sophomores Goran Tomasevic and Balazs Szabo combined on a successful counterattack that tied the contest back to 5-5.

Both teams traded goals in the fourth, with Salit's 6-on-5 goal from the 2-position giving UC Davis a 6-5 lead at 6:01 and Rogers natural goal from Luke Collins tying matters at 7-7 with 1:13. Again, in the waning seconds of the quarter, the Tigers' 6-foot-6, 245-pound Tomasevic struck on a 6-on-5 chance, preventing a possible overtime and sending Pacific to the win.

The one-goal loss to Pacific arguably marks UC Davis men's water polo's strongest performance against such a highly ranked team since the Aggies scored back-to-back upsets against then-No. 7 Loyola Marymount and No. 6 Long Beach State in late 2007.

UC Davis returns to action at Fresno Pacific on Friday before taking part in the four-game Inland Empire Classic at Redlands that weekend.

GOLDEN BEAR INVITATIONAL
UC Davis games only.

GOALS - UC Davis: Aaron Salit 4, Trevor Allen 1. Cal: Ivan Rackoff 5, Luka Saponjic 4, Cory Nasoff 1, Zach Greenwood 1, Giacomo Cupido 1, Charlie Steffens 1, Ayal Keren 1, Hunter Gallagher 1, Blake Kelly 1.

GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Kevin Peat 8. Cal: Will Toppen 8, Michael Boggan 3.

GOALS - UC Davis: Aaron Salit 4, Luke Collins 1, Bernie Rogers 1, Stuart Dooley 1. Pacific: Goran Tomasevic 3, Tom Koning 2, Balazs Szabo 1, Tyler Reardon 1, Joe Orr 1.

GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Kevin Peat 9. Pacific: Joe Frantz 6.