DAVIS, Calif. -- Junior utility
Alyssa Lengtat scored a hat trick, junior goalkeeper
Sophia Noble posted five third-quarter saves, and the trio of
Emily Aikema,
Noelle Wijnbelt and
Grace Pelkey each logged two goals and an assist to lift No. 12 UC Davis to an 11-9 upset of No. 4 UC Irvine in Big West Conference women's water polo action at Schaal Aquatics Center Friday afternoon.
The game was the opener of a doubleheader with a non-conference matchup between the two teams, which the Anteaters won by a 12-11 final. The Aggies move to 5-3 for the season.
Friday's opener also marks UC Davis' first upset of a top-four team since February 25, 2007, when the Aggies beat then No. 4 Hawai'i at the UC Irvine Invitational. The Aggies have since beaten numerous No. 5 opponents, perhaps most notably San Diego State at the 2008 NCAA Championship; plus twice in the 2016 season, with wins over Arizona State and UC Irvine.
It also marks the first Aggie victory in the all-time series against the Anteaters since a 9-8 win at home on April 7, 2018.
Team captain
Julia Hartmann added another goal and two assists, while
Allyson Clague chipped in a power-play goal late in the first half. UC Davis never trailed in the contest, although UCI managed to tie the game on three occasions, with the two teams locked in a 4-4 battle at halftime.
Pelkey scored both of her goals in the third, during which the Aggies outscored their guests by a 5-1 margin. Noble had five of her 11 total saves in that quarter, including two in the final minute. UCI scored twice early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 9-7, then after a Wijnbelt goal at 4:27 left in the contest; Jessica Lynch and Danielle Ayala each struck again for the 'Eaters to bring the margin to 10-9 with just 1:49 left. However, Hartmann fed Wijnbelt for the insurance goal on the next possession, restoring the UC Davis lead to two.
Clague came up with a big field save against Kayleigh Schultz on the ensuing series to protect that margin, and the only other UCI attempt was by goalie Morgan Jones. Her shot barred out to keep the score at 11-9.
UC Davis continued to roll early in the second game with a 4-1 lead in the first quarter, but Ayala scored four goals to boost the Anteaters to the comeback win. Aikema, Pelkey and freshman
Sam Vitt each netted two goals for the Aggies.
Sarah Nichols hit two of UCI's five goals in the second to give her team a 6-5 halftime edge, then Ayala scored back-to-back tallies to extend the stretch to four unanswered. Aikema stopped the run with her goal at the 3:25 mark in the third, cutting the 'Eater lead to 9-6, only to have Piper Smith respond with a 6-on-5 conversation on UCI's next trip down.
Facing a 10-6 deficit, UC Davis rallied late in the third and into the fourth, with goals by
Tess Fundter,
Devin Holcomb, Lengtat, Vitt and Clague equalizing the game at 11-11. Lengtat and Game 2 starting goalie
Nellie McAdams each had steals down the stretch, but UCI kept the Aggies off the board with defense of its own. With 28 seconds left, Piper Smith drew an exclusion and set up a power play, which Ayala converted with 11 ticks remaining for the game-winner.
UC Davis breaks for final examinations, then resumes Big West Conference play at UC Santa Barbara on March 21. That day consists of another doubleheader, with the noon game counting toward the league standings. Only the top four teams in the expanded Big West will advance to the conference championship this season.
ABOUT UC DAVIS:
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.
UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
