Oct. 3, 2015 USAFA, Colo. - Freshman Sasa Antunovic scored a career-high five goals, including the game-winner just 21 seconds into the sudden-victory period, to lead No. 10 UC Davis to an 11-10 victory over No. 13 Air Force in Western Water Polo Association men's action at Cadet Natatorium Saturday.
The Aggies improve to 9-6 for the season and 2-0 in WWPA play. The Falcons, playing in their first conference game, slip to 4-9 for the year.
Freshman Ido Goldschmidt added three goals and senior utility Sean Grab chipped in another two during a contest in which UC Davis never led in regulation. Sophomore goalkeeper Spencer Creed posted 14 saves in front of the cage.
Junior attackers Eric Curia and Robby Stiefel each had three goals for the Academy. Goalkeeper Max Benson tallied 14 saves.
The Aggies and Falcons battled to six ties during regulation. Air Force took an initial 4-1 lead, all on natural goals, during the first six minutes of play. Junior Lyle Kipp and Antunovic netted goals on either side of the quarter break to cut the deficit to 4-3. Grab and Antunovic later converted power plays to even the score to 5-5 at halftime.
Air Force and UC Davis traded goals throughout the third and fourth frames. Curia scored at the 1:33 mark to make it 9-8, then Antunovic answered 20 seconds later. Stiefel put the Falcons up, 10-9, with 22 ticks left in regulation, then Goldschmidt responded with another equalizer at the buzzer to force extra periods.
Neither team managed to break the plane in overtime, with UC Davis holding off one Air Force power play. The Aggies scored the winner on the first possession of sudden victory with Antunovic's 19th goal of the year. Sophomore Spencer Galli won the opening sprint to give UC Davis the initial possession. Redshirt freshman Riley Venne played the ball to Antunovic, who had slid into a shooting zone on the perimeter. He fired into the high left corner past Benson for the go-ahead.
Cadet Natatorium will host the WWPA Championship in late November. UC Davis takes a week off from official competition with an exhibition against West Valley College followed by its alumni game on October 10. The Aggies' next countable action is a home weekend against Santa Clara and Concordia on the 17th and 18th.
| No. 10 UC Davis (9-6, 2-0) | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | - | 11 |
| No. 13 Air Force | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 |
GOALS - UC Davis: Sasa Antunovic 5, Ido Goldschmidt 3, Sean Grab 2, Lyle Kipp 1. AFA: Robby Stiefel 3, Eric Curia 3, Zach Kamai 1, Riley Thomas 1, Justin Harrison 1, Ben Rogers 1.
GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: Spencer Creed 14 (38:21). AFA: Max Benson 14 (38:21).
