Sep 8, 2013
LA JOLLA, Calif. - Veterans Trevor Allen, Bernie Rogers and Chris Richardson plus redshirt freshman Mark Coufal each totaled two goals as 17th-ranked UC Davis dropped a pair of games against Top 10 competition at the Triton Invitational men's water polo tournament at UC San Diego's Canyonview Aquatic Center Sunday. The Aggies fell to No. 6 Long Beach State, 11-7, then to No. 4 California by a 15-4 final.
UC Davis moves to 2-2 for the year.
Rogers and Coufal each scored two goals against the 49ers in the morning matchup, Allen hit two in the nightcap against the Golden Bears, and Richardson netted one in each contest. Redshirt freshman Austin Beckwith and senior transfer Tyler Elliott also had goals against LBSU while sophomore Alex Bagdasarian accounted for the fourth goal versus Cal.
UC Davis battled closely with The Beach in the early going of Sunday's opener, holding a 2-2 tie midway through the first. Then 49er sophomore attacker Nolan McConnell converted a 6-on-5 chance with 3:10 to go to ignite a run of three straight. McConnell completed a hat trick by the 4:13 mark in the second quarter, and LBSU had a 7-3 lead at the halftime break.
The Aggies played even ball with the 49ers during the second half. Coufal scored his first collegiate goal with 2:29 left to bring the deficit to 10-4, then hit his second on a power play with no time remaining in the fourth. Hampering UC Davis' chances were five-meter fouls: LBSU went to the line three times and hit all three penalty shots.
In Sunday's nightcap, Cal scored five unanswered in the first quarter to establish an early lead before UC Davis got on the board in the second. Richardson and Allen scored on extra-man opportunities in that frame as the game went to the break at 7-2 in the Bears' favor.
Allen and Bagdasarian continued to convert 6-on-5 chances in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. However, Cal continued to pile up goals in completing its victory.
Sophomore Philip Bates and redshirt freshman Zach Tudhope continued to platoon at goalkeeper in the Long Beach State game. Bates had six saves in the first half before Tudhope posted five in his second-half relief. Tudhope manned the net for the Cal matchup, adding five more blocks.
UC Davis takes a weekend off from competition, returning to action at the NorCal Invitational in Berkeley on Sept. 21-22.
UC SAN DIEGO TRITON INVITATIONAL, DAY 2
UC Davis games only.
| #17 UC Davis | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | - | 7 |
| #6 Long Beach State | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 11 |
GOALS - UC Davis:
Bernie Rogers 2,
Mark Coufal 2,
Austin Beckwith 1,
Chris Richardson 1,
Tyler Elliott 1. LBSU: Nolan McConnell 4, Milos Vrzic 3, Zacchary Kappos 2, Carter Taylor 1, Conner Reilly 1.
GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Philip Bates 6 (32:00), Zach Tudhope 5 (32:00). LBSU: Pavo Ljepopio 10 (32:00).
| #17 UC Davis | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | 4 |
| #4 California | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | - | 15 |
GOALS - UC Davis:
Trevor Allen 2,
Chris Richardson 1,
Alex Bagdasarian 1. Cal: Chandler Jarrels-Stickney 4, Aleksa Saponjic 2, Mitchell Hamilton 2, Matt Russell 1, Collin Smith 1, Thomas Carroll 1, Max Schell 1, Luka Ivanovic 1, Hunter Gettelfinger 1, Farrel South 1.
GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Zach Tudhope 5 (32:00). Cal: Jon Sibley 8 (32:00).
