PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Senior attacker Marcus Anderson scored a total of six goals, while sophomore Jack Stafford and freshman Nir Gross each performed hat tricks, as No. 7 UC Davis split its first-day action at the Bruno Classic men's water polo tournament Saturday. The Aggies were upset by No. 11 Harvard, 15-14; then pulled away in the second half with an 18-10 win over MIT.

UC Davis opens its season at 1-1. 

Anderson tied his career high of five goals in the morning contest with Harvard, netting two in the first quarter, one in the second and two in the third. Gross combined for five goals in the two contests, hitting two in the second half against the Crimson, then leading the charge after the halftime with three goals against the Engineers. Senior Ido Goldschmidt and junior Max Somple were also among the Aggies to score in each game.

The Bruno Classic continues on Sunday, with UC Davis facing the No. 15 host Bears (5 a.m. PDT) and No. 19 Saint Francis Brooklyn (9:30 a.m. PDT).

HARVARD 15, UC DAVIS 14 - NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS
• Anderson's five goals matches his previous best, also set against Harvard at the 2017 Julian Fraser Memorial. It marks his 13th collegiate hat trick.

• UC Davis led briefly at 5-4 as Anderson scored the first goal of the second quarter. The game was tied five times, mostly recently at the 7:04 mark in the fourth on Gross' goal.

• UC Davis scored eight goals on exclusions, as four Crimson players fouled out of the contest. Harvard scored four goals on kickouts and two more on five-meter penalties.
 

UC DAVIS 18, MIT 10 - NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS
• Sophomore Jack Stafford poured in three goals in the first quarter, then posted his fourth in the third. The four total goals ties his career high set in last year's WWPA tournament win over Fresno Pacific.

• The two teams battled to seven ties, including 7-7 at halftime and 8-8 a minute into the third quarter. MIT even held a 7-5 lead following a 3-0 run in the first quarter. However, the Aggies went on a 10-2 run starting with Somple's power-play conversion at the 6:45 mark in the third frame.

• MIT ranked No. 7 in the preseason among Div. III teams.

2018 BRUNO CLASSIC, DAY 1
Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center

GOALS - UC DAVIS: Marcus Anderson 5, Riley Venne 2, Ido Goldschmidt 2, Nir Gross 2, George Kuesis 1, Max Somple 1, Nick Coufal 1. HARVARD: Dennis Blyashov 3, Bruno Snow 2, Charlie Owens 2, Austin Sechrest 2, Nathan Ondracek 2, Jackson Enright 1, Alex Tsotadze 1, Bennie Seybold 1, Michael Del Mundo 1.

GOALIE SAVES - UC DAVIS: R.J. Quigley 7. HARVARD: Nikhil Suri 4.

GOALS - UC DAVIS: Jack Stafford 4, Nir Gross 3, Max Somple 2, Holden Tamblyn 2, Keenan Anderson 2, Ido Goldschmidt 1, Marcus Anderson 1, Eric Martel 1, Yurii Hanley 1, Colter Knight 1. MIT: Kevin Downey 3, Kyle Sanders 2, Clyde Huibregtse 2, Evan Kim 1, Lucas Novak 1, Pat Stefanov 1. 

GOALIE SAVES - UC Davis: R.J. Quigley 4. MIT: not available.

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.