LOS ANGELES — Sophomore
Nir Gross scored five times and nine different players found the back of the cage on Saturday morning, lifting No. 9 UC Davis to a 16-9 victory over Western Water Polo Association rival Air Force in a non-conference battle at the 2019 MPSF Invitational at the Burns Aquatics Center on the campus of Loyola Marymount.
The Aggies moved to 6-5 overall on the season and advance to face the winner of the upcoming Princeton-LMU clash later today at 5:20 p.m.
Gross tied his season high in scoring, matching his output against Long Beach State back on Sept. 7 at the Triton Invitational, while
George Kuesis,
Ian Ambidge, and
Holden Tamblyn also scored a pair of goals in the victory.
Gross and senior
Max Somple scored back-to-back goals to open the contest for the Aggies before the Falcons answered to tie it at two and, again, at three, as the two teams ended the opening quarter knotted up.
Ambidge then netted his two scores off a turnover and followed with a 6-on-5 score for a 5-3 advantage to open the second — goals that proved to be the go-ahead scores — and the Aggies never looked back, leading 7-4 at the break.
Air Force closed to within a goal at 7-6 on a score by Sam Fuller with 5:18 remaining in the third, but
Spencer Towill found the back of the cage to open a run a five straight goals for the Aggies, giving them a 12-6 lead after three.
UC Davis then outscored the Falcons, 4-2, in the fourth, getting a 5-meter from Gross, and goals from Kuesis,
Matthew Whipple, and
Eric Martel, to cap the scoring.
#9 UC DAVIS 16, (RV) AIR FORCE 9
AF — 3-1-3-2—9
UCD — 3-4-5-4–16
AF GOALS: Mike Miller 3, Sam Fuller 2, Ian Shepard 1, Neil Reynolds 1, Henry Yavitt 1, Grant Snyder 1
UC DAVIS GOALS: Nir Gross 5,
Holden Tamblyn 2,
George Kuesis 2,
Ian Ambidge 2,
Eric Martel 1,
Spencer Towill 1,
Matthew Whipple 1,
Max Somple 1,
Logan Anderson 1
SAVES: Jonah Addington (UCD) - 5; Anthony Tolbert (AF) - 7
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.
