USAFA, Colo. — Senior
Yurii Hanley's second goal of the match with 34 seconds remaining in regulation broke a 9-9 tie and helped lift the No. 12 UC Davis men's water polo team to a 10-9 victory over host Air Force in Western Water Polo Association action on Saturday afternoon at the Cadet Natatorium on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
The Aggies improved to 8-7 overall with the win and moved to 2-0 in WWPA play. The Falcons fell to 9-11 overall after dropping their WWPA opener.
A back-and-forth affair that saw the two programs tied at five at the break and at six-all after three quarters saw UC Davis strike first in the decisive fourth quarter on a goal by
Eric Martel with just over five minutes to play.
However, it was a flurry of scores in the final 2:40 that would decide it as the Falcons equalized on a goal by Grant Snyder, only to have the Aggies regain the lead 35 seconds later on
Kyle Reilly's power play goal. Air Force wasted little time in knotting the match back up once again as Luke Andres netting a 6-on-5 score just 17 seconds later, setting the stage for Hanley's winner.
Following Andres' tying score, Martel had a shot turned away and
Matthew Whipple's attempt deflected off the post with a minute remaining. A timeout by UC Davis to set up a play resulted in Hanley's score 25 seconds later, converting a feed from
Keenan Anderson for the game-winner.
Henry Yavitt had one last attempt for the Falcons out of a timeout, but his shot drew the post and the Aggies escaped with the victory.
The win was the 15th straight in the series for UC Davis dating back to 2012 and improved the Aggies to 2-0 against Air Force this season after a win at the MPSF Invitational back on Sept. 28.
Martel and
Jack Stafford joined Hanley in the multi-goal club as UC Davis also received scores from
Keenan Anderson — who added a pair of assists —
Spencer Towill, and
Holden Tamblyn. Campbell Harris led all scorers with four goals for the Falcons.
UC Davis opens a run of three straight WWPA contests at home next weekend, welcoming Fresno Pacific on Friday (Oct. 18) and Concordia on Sunday (Oct. 20) to Schaal Aquatics Center. The games begin at 3 p.m. and Noon, respectively.
#12 UC DAVIS 10, AIR FORCE 9
UCD — 3-2-1-4 — 10
AF — 4-1-1-3 – 9
UC DAVIS GOALS: Yurii Hanley 2,
Eric Martel 2,
Jack Stafford 2,
Keenan Anderson 1,
Kyle Reilly 1,
Holden Tamblyn,
Spencer Towill 1
AIR FORCE GOALS: Campbell Harris 4, Gavin Jones 1, Grant Snyder 1, Luke Andres 1, Sam Fuller 1, Corey Tanis 1
SAVES: Jonah Addington (UCD) - 5; Anthony Tolbert (AF) - 10
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 Times Higher Education, and among the top 15 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
Launched 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.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.
