LA JOLLA, Calif. — Senior Yurii Hanley's hat trick in Sunday's nightcap proved decisive, lifting the No. 10 UC Davis men's water polo team to a 14-13 win over conference rival No. 14 Loyola Marymount and help the Aggies to a split on their final day of the 2019 Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif.

Facing three nationally ranked squads over the tournament's two days, UC Davis evened its record at 2-2 overall on the year, opening the day with a 12-8 loss to Western Water Polo Association rival and No. 9-ranked UC San Diego in a battle of preseason league favorites before coming from behind to edge the Lions at the death.

A back-and-forth contest had UC Davis and LMU tied after the first quarter, 5-5, and at the break 9-9, with neither team holding more than a one-goal lead through the first 16 minutes. The Aggies led only twice in that span, scoring the first goal of the match and taking a 9-8 lead on a goal by junior George Kuesis with 1:11 to play before the break, before the Lions answered with the tying score by Alexandros Athymaritis with 12 seconds to play.

A tight third quarter saw UC Davis lead by one after goals by Hanley and junior Keenan Anderson with less than three minutes to play, but LMU regained the lead after trading goals to start the fourth as Daniel Roth scored to knot the match at 12 apiece and added the go-ahead score three minutes later to make it 13-12.

That's when the Aggies put their heads down to grind out the win, scoring on senior Eric Martel's second of the game at the 2:27 mark to tie it at 13-all, before Hanley found room on a man advantage with 1:23 to play, putting home the winner to finish off the hat trick.

Kuesis finished with a pair against the Lions as did Martel, junior Kyle Reilly, and sophomore Nir Gross.

A high-scoring first quarter in the first game of the day saw UC Davis jump out to the early lead against UC San Diego as XX Max Somple opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the match, and Hanley followed with another at the 6:06 mark for a 2-0 lead.

That's when the floodgates opened for the Tritons, who railed off the next five straight scores to take a lead they would never relinquish. UCSD extended its lead to 7-3 with back-to-back goals to start the second before the Aggies began to claw their way back in it.

Kuesis netted a pair 90 seconds apart to make it 7-5, and UC Davis trailed by only two at the break on a 5-meter shot by Holden Tamblyn with just 17 seconds remaining before halftime.

Junior Jack Stafford's goal just 38 seconds into the second half made it a one-goal contest, but UC San Diego would allow the Aggies to get no closer, scoring four of the final five goals to close out the match.

UC Davis' schedule slows down a bit this week with only a contest at No. 4 California on Saturday at 10:15 a.m. looming ahead. The Golden Bears finished 3-1 at the Triton Invitational, defeating Whittier, LMU, and No. 13 UC Irvine, while suffering their first defeat of the season against No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday morning.

Following the contest against California, the Aggies will host their annual Aggie Roundup on Sept. 20-22 at Schaal Aquatics Center. A complete schedule for the event is available here: https://ucdavisaggies.com/sports/2019/7/19/2019-AggieRoundup-Central.aspx

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 10 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.