Oct. 23, 2014 DAVIS, Calif. - Junior Sean Grab scored four goals, senior Michael Wright performed his first collegiate hat trick and freshman Cory Laidig came up with a clutch interception with mere seconds left in the fourth quarter to keep 12th-ranked UC Davis on top of No. 13 Air Force, 12-11, in Western Water Polo Association action at Schaal Aquatics Center Thursday night.
The Aggies improve to 10-12 for the year and even their conference mark to 1-1. The Falcons slip to 9-12 overall and 1-2 in WWPA play.
Grab had one of his team-high three assists to Max Vigeant to give UC Davis a 5-4 edge early in the second quarter, then hit back-to-back shots from the perimeter to extend that lead to 7-4. Wright put the Aggies on the board with his goal from the 1 spot in the opening minute, sent a low tracer off the hands of AFA goalkeeper Max Benson to restore UC Davis' lead to 4-3 in the second, and converted a power play at 3:24 in the fourth after Teddy Nicholson drew an exclusion at two meters.
Senior Chris Richardson added two goals while Vigeant, Spencer Galli and Talon Gay each added one. Galli, who won three of the four sprints in the game, had a pair of assists of the Aggies
Richardson's two goals lifted his career total to 200 exactly, making him just the second player on modern program history to hit that milestone.
Grab's part in the three unanswered goals during the second quarter gave UC Davis a lead it would not surrender. However, Air Force threatened by cutting the margin to a single goal on four separate occasions in the second half. Riley Thomas and Dominic Vicino each connected as the shot-clock buzzer sounded to trim the lead to 9-8 and 10-9, respectively. Senior center Petr Javkovich drew a five-meter foul with 5:55 left in the fourth, and Jantz Johnson buried the penalty shot to set the board at 11-10.
With 3:06 left in the fourth, it was junior utility Ben Rogers, who delivered a long bomb to bring Air Force to within a 12-11 deficit. The Falcons had two possessions down the stretch, one of which courtesy of a Robby Stiefel steal at two meters with 30 seconds remaining. However, the 6-foot-0 Laidig elevated for a steal on an entry pass to center with mere two seconds left. The Aggies controlled with eight-tenths left on the clock, and called their last timeout to preserve the possession -- and the win.
Thursday's contest provided treats for the hometown fans. Both Wright and Nicholson graduated from nearby Davis High. Garrett Fisk, a DHS grad and freshman for the Falcons, scored two goals in the first quarter to help his team battle back from an early 3-0 hole.
UC Davis returns to action at Santa Clara's annual Rodeo tournament. The Aggies' schedule, which underwent a late change on Thursday, now stands as follows: No. 19 Cal Baptist (10:40 a.m.) and No. 14 Brown (4 p.m.) on Saturday, Bucknell (10:40 a.m.) and No. 15 Santa Clara (4 p.m.) on Sunday.
| No. 13 Air Force (9-12, 1-2) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | 11 |
| No. 12 UC Davis (10-12, 1-1) | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | - | 12 |
GOALS - AFA: Garrett Fisk 2, Riley Thomas 2, Ben Thomas 2, Jantz Johnson 2, Riley Quinlan 1, Robby Stiefel 1, Dominic Vicino 1. UC Davis: Sean Grab 4, Michael Wright 3, Chris Richardson 2, Max Vigeant 1, Spencer Galli 1, Talon Gay 1.
GOALIE SAVES - AFA: Max Benson 6 (32:00). UC Davis: Spencer Creed 7 (32:00).
