April 9, 2016 SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Centers Allyson Hansen and Greta Kohlmoos each scored two goals while senior Haley Cameron posted a career-high 19 saves to lead UC Davis but ultimately, it was a Gaucho two-meter player with the game-winner: fifth-year Lauren Martin scored 81 seconds into the second sudden victory period to lead No. 14 UC Santa Barbara to a 7-6 win over No. 9 UC Davis in Big West Conference women's water polo action at Campus Pool Saturday afternoon.
The Aggies slip to 14-11 overall and remain winless in conference at 0-3. The Gauchos move to 13-11 for the year and even their Big West ledger to 1-1.
Junior Carla Tocchini and freshman McKenna Hauss also scored goals for UC Davis. Martin matched fellow senior Samantha Murphy for the team lead of two goals, while Brenna Thomas, Sophie Trabucco and Bryn Hudson had one goal each. Cameron's total of 19 blocks ranks second in school history, trailing only Casey Hines' 20 vs. Maryland on February 6, 2010 for the school record.
Saturday's contest featured six ties, with the Aggies holding a 3-2 lead at halftime and a brief 4-3 edge after Hauss connected from the perimeter with 5:22 left in the third. Martin immediately erased the UC Davis lead with her backhanded goal from set on the next possession. Both defenses locked down for the remainder of the third, but Hudson pushed the Gauchos up by a 5-4 margin with her transition goal early in the fourth. However, Hansen converted a counterattack of her own midway through that frame to equalize to 5-5.
UCSB took a 6-5 lead during the first overtime segment then halted an Aggie power play to hold its edge. Kohlmoos tied the game for a sixth time a minute into the second half of overtime. Then with a minute left, junior Bryn Lutz was called for a five-meter foul. The Gauchos went to the line for a potential game-winning penalty shot, but Cameron came up with a clutch save.
The two teams went scoreless for the first three minutes of a sudden-victory period. Finally, with 1:39 remaining in the second SV frame, Martin netted the winner on a sweep shot from two meters.
Saturday's thriller marks the eighth time since 2012 that UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara have played two a one-goal margin, and the second time the matchup has required extra time.
The Aggies continue Big West action at No. 25 CSUN on Sunday. Game time is noon.
| No. 9 UC Davis (14-11, 0-3) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 |
| No. 14 UC Santa Barbara (13-11, 1-1) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | 7 |
GOALS - UC DAVIS: Allyson Hansen 2, Greta Kohlmoos 2, Carla Tocchini 1, McKenna Hauss 1. UCSB: Samantha Murphy 2, Lauren Martin 2, Brenna Thomas 1, Sophie Trabucco 1, Bryn Hudson 1.
