DAVIS, Calif. — In No. 9 UC Davis women's water polo's home finale, the three seniors put up an outstanding game to close an incredible four-year career, defeating Big West opponent No. 23 CSUN 11-8 on Saturday. Five Aggies scored multiple goals to lead the Aggies to a 3-2 Big West record.
Reeling off five unanswered goals to open the game, senior co-captain McKenna Hauss broke open on an assist from goalkeeper Caitlin Golding, taking it all the way for her first goal of the day. Fellow senior co-captain Annie Kutt notched her first goal in the same fashion, before Kathleen Schafle scored the third goal. The Aggies put up the first three goals with just 30 seconds between.
Capitalizing on a five meter penalty, Noelle Wijnbelt scored her two goals of the game back-to-back, extending the lead to 5-0 with a backhanded goal. CSUN's only goal of the first period came by a late powerplay conversion.
The Matadors started strong in the second period, putting up two goals unanswered to get within two of the Aggies, one of three occasions in the game. CSUN and UC Davis would trade goals until late in the third period, when the Aggies broke away to an 8-5 lead off two consecutive goals from senior co-captain Marcela Portales, and a second from Hauss.
After a quiet third quarter, the Aggies notched goals from Schafle, Devin Holcomb, and Kutt to close the game 11-8.
Head coach Jamey Wright encapsulated the three seniors in just four words: "Dedicated, selfless, athletic, good."
"They're awesome players and as good people," continued Wright. "We couldn't ask for three better leaders; they're all captains, and they all got voted to be captain. They're just tremendous in every way, and you pinch yourself sometimes because you're so lucky they came to Davis. It's weird to think they're done, and every year you lose seniors, but this is an especially tough group to lose. They're awesome."
The Aggies will wrap up the regular season at Stanford next Friday, Apr. 19, at 6 PM, before heading back to Long Beach for the Big West Championships beginning Friday, Apr. 26.
| No. 9 UC Davis |
5 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
| No. 23 CSUN |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
GOALS: UC DAVIS: Annie Kutt 2, McKenna Hauss 2, Kathleen Schafle 2, Marcela Portales 2, Noelle Wijnbelt 2, Devin Holcomb 1. CSUN: J. Barthels 3, K. Andon-Mateos 2, Sara Dempsey 1, Ashlee Stellung 1, Tori Wilson 1.
GOALIE SAVES: UC DAVIS: Sophia Noble 9, Caitlin Golding 3. CSUN: Emma Pfister 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.
