SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Freshman center Nir Gross scored four goals while seniors Ido Goldschmidt and Marcus Anderson also added hat tricks, helping No. 8t UC Davis match its season high for goals in a 19-12 win over Santa Clara during Western Water Polo Association men's action at Sullivan Aquatics Center Saturday.

The Aggies improve to 8-3 for the year and stay unbeaten in conference at 2-0. The Broncos, among the teams receiving votes in this week's national coaches' poll, moves to 3-5 overall and 0-1 in WWPA play.

Gross scored two goals in the second quarter, then one each in the third and fourth to amass his career high at UC Davis. Anderson netted two goals in the opening frame, then completed his hat trick as part of the Aggies' 5-1 run in the second half. Goldschmidt scored a natural goal in the first, a penalty goal in the second, then a power-play goal in the fourth for his fifth hat trick of the year.

For Santa Clara, senior utility Sam Toriggino scored three goals with three other Broncos – Ryan Werner, Mac Carey and Reilley May – netting two apiece.

The Aggies led from wire to wire, although the Broncos managed to pull within a 4-3 margin after Toriggino's 6-on-5 conversion to start the second quarter. UC Davis held a 10-6 lead at halftime, extended that advantage to five on Venne's goal to open the period, but then surrendered back-to-back goals to see its lead slip to 11-8. However, Santa Clara never closed the gap any further, with UC Davis going on a 5-1 stretch from the final minute of the third quarter to the 2:47 mark in the fourth.

Venne led UC Davis with four assists and two steals. 

The Aggies extend their WWPA win streak to 25 consecutive games, a run that began with a home win over Loyola Marymount on November 2, 2014. UC Davis returns home to face No. 2 UCLA on Sunday. First sprint is at noon.

GOALS - UC DAVIS: Nir Gross 4, Marcus Anderson 3, Ido Goldschmidt 3, Kyle Reilly 2, Colter Knight 2, Holden Tamblyn 1, Nick Coufal 1, Riley Venne 1, Keenan Anderson 1, Jack Stafford 1. SCU: Sam Toriggino 3, Ryan Werner 2, Mac Carey 2, Reilley May 2, Dane Estrella 1, Scott Zurnacian 1, Adam Low 1. 

GOALIE SAVES - UC DAVIS: Jonah Addington 2 (16:00), R.J. Quigley 6 (16:00). SCU: Matthew Churchman 5 (16:00), Sean Tehaney 3 (16:00). 

DON'T MISS OUT!
The ninth-annual UC Davis Athletics Brewfest takes place as part of the October 13 Homecoming football game against Idaho State... Tickets for the Brewfest plus the Aggies-Bengals game are now on sale at https://bit.ly/2ooveDI... The Brewfest celebrates UC Davis as the No. 1 academic brewing program in North America... The ticket package includes unlimited tastings at the UC Davis Brewfest, a commemorative tasting mug, and a ticket to the game.

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. 5-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.