DAVIS, Calif. — Junior
George Kuesis finished with a hat trick to lead the offense while junior goalkeeper
Jonah Addington made 14 stops on the afternoon, helping the No. 13 UC Davis men's water polo team to a 14-7 victory over Western Water Polo Association rival Concordia on Sunday at Schaal Aquatics Center.
Ten different players found the back of the cage for the Aggies, who improved to 10-7 overall and 4-0 in the WWPA in winning their third straight match. Sophomores
Spencer Towill and
Nir Gross each also added a pair for UC Davis.
Led by three goals from Messan Moore, the Eagles fell to 7-12 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
After Concordia opened the scoring, Kuesis put home back-to-back goals two minutes apart and Towill added his first for a 3-1 advantage. Leading by one after one period, Logan and
Keenan Anderson scored back-to-back goals to open the second as the Aggies began to inch away, leading 8-5 at halftime thanks to scores by Kuesis,
Levi Murtaugh, and Gross after the Eagles had made it a one-goal game.
UC Davis then iced the game with a strong second half, outscoring Concordia 6-2 after halftime, including the final four goals of the contest. Towill scored on the powerplay to open the third,
Holden Tamblyn added a 5-meter score, Gross added his second, and Hanley,
Jack Stafford, and
Matthew Whipple each found the back of the cage to cap the scoring.
Addington finished with his 10th double-digit save performance of the year, posting his highest total since stopping 16 shots against California Baptist back on Sept. 20. Defensively, Hanley accounted for five of the team's 16 steals, while Gross added three more swipes.
UC Davis returns home on Saturday (Nov. 2) at 3 p.m., hosting WWPA rival Santa Clara in the final home match of the year. The Aggies' senior class of
Eric Martel,
Yurii Hanley,
Max Somple, and
Holden Tamblyn, will be honored during pregame ceremonies prior to the start of the match.
#13 UC DAVIS 14, CONCORDIA 7
CUI — 2-3-2-0 — 7
UCD — 3-5-3-3 – 14
UC DAVIS GOALS: George Kuesis 3,
Spencer Towill 2,
Nir Gross 2,
Keenan Anderson 1,
Matthew Whipple 1,
Jack Stafford 1,
Yurii Hanley 1,
Holden Tamblyn 1,
Logan Anderson 1,
Levi Murtaugh 1
CONCORDIA GOALS: Messan Moore 3, Marius Jakimcikas 2, Nick Walker 1, Patrick Zsiros 1
SAVES: Jonah Addington (UCD) - 14; Cullen Moore (CUI) - 8
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.
