IRVINE, Calif. — Senior
Nir Gross was one of three UC Davis players to collect hat tricks on the day, while the defense limited host Concordia to just 19 shot attempts and 26 percent shooting for the match, helping the No. 9-ranked Aggies open 2-0 in Western Water Polo Association play with a 21-5 victory over the Eagles on Friday afternoon at the William Woollett, Jr., Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif.
UC Davis improved to 10-5 overall with the victory, winning its ninth consecutive WWPA match. Concordia fell to 4-9 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Gross' hat trick was his fourth of the year, while the four goals were the most for the senior since he scored the same number against San Jose State back on Sept. 17.
Hal Goulter, who finished with four goals and an assist in Thursday's win over No. 19 California Baptist, and
Ben Fleming also chipped in hat tricks as part of four-point afternoons, while four others finished with two goals apiece — including freshman William Nomura, who collected his first career points with a pair of goals and an assist.
In all, 10 different UC Davis players found the back of the cage on the day, shooting 58 percent on the day. The 21 goals stand as the second-highest total for the Aggies this season, trailing only the school-record 26 goals scored against Mount St. Mary's on Sept. 4.
Defensively, goalkeeper
Duncan Creed finished with seven saves, adding three steals in the cage, while
Max Stryker and
Michael Plastino also finished with three takeaways — contributing to a 14-steal effort by the Aggies on the day.
After surrendering the first goal of the match, UC Davis exploded for five straight scores, leading 2-1 after one quarter and 8-2 at half time as Gross scored the final three goals of the half. The Aggies kept rolling to start the third quarter, scoring three straight to start the period and four more after Concordia stopped the bleeding with a score by Callin Chimilar, giving UC Davis an insurmountable 15-3 lead.
Jeff Runyan scored for the Eagles at the 6:31 mark of the fourth, but the Aggies continued to find the back of the cage, scoring six consecutive goals — two by Fleming, two by Venne, and one each from
Levi Murtaugh and Nomura — before Concordia added its fifth goal of the day with six seconds remaining to cap the scoring.
A busy week awaits UC Davis, which concludes a run of nine-straight matches away from home with three contests on the road. The Aggies travel to Santa Clara on Oct. 14 and Fresno Pacific on Oct. 16 for WWPA contests, before taking on No. 3 Stanford on Sunday (Oct. 17).
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO System helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
