DAVIS, Calif. — No. 11 UC Davis women's water polo pulled off a second-half surge to overwhelm the visiting No. 18 Harvard Crimson, 10-7 at Schaal Aquatics Center on Saturday.
In the last game before finals week, the Aggies relied on junior utility Chloe Robinson and junior attacker Kathleen Schafle, who each completed hat tricks and two assists to have a hand in every point scored for UC Davis. Robinson continues to lead the team with 33 assists on the year, and a combined team-high 59 points, while Schafle added three steals to put her at 31 total this season, second only to senior Annie Kutt, who notched three steals of her own for 32 total.
After a quiet first period from the Aggies that ended in a 1-1 opening frame, UC Davis found itself in a 5-6 deficit at the half, when freshman goalkeeper Sophia Noble entered the pool. Noble nearly held Harvard scoreless in the second half, and added six saves, including several one-on-one shots.
In a strong defensive second half, the Aggies held the Crimson to a single goal late in the third quarter, before Schafle netted back-to-back goals to kick-off a UC Davis scoring streak — the Aggies put up five unanswered goals to claim the game. To start the fourth period, there was a discrepancy with the game clock, resulting in an official decision to replay the game from 7:57, when the protest occurred. The Aggies remained unfazed, as junior utility Emily Byrne and Schafle scored, and Robinson capitalized on the six-on-five opportunities to net both exclusion goals.
In addition to her three steals, Kutt notched a single goal, and junior Cassidy Smithson added two goals to hit UC Davis' 10.
The Aggies improve to 13-9, and will return to action at Cal State Monterey Bay on Wednesday, Mar. 27 at 1 PM.
| No. 11 UC Davis |
1 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
| No. 18 Harvard |
1 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
GOALS: UC DAVIS: Chloe Robinson 3, Kathleen Schafle 3, Cassidy Smithson 2, Annie Kutt 1, Emily Byrne 1. HARVARD: Kristen Hong 3, S. Carrera-Justiz 2, Grace Thawley 1, Olivia Price 1.
GOALIES SAVES: UC DAVIS: Sophia Noble 6, Caitlin Golding 1. HARVARD: Zoe Banks 5.
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, 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 during the 2017-18 academic year, 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.
