HONOLULU -- Sophomore utility
Alyssa Lengtat scored a team-high two goals while adding a steal and a field block, but No. 9 UC Davis saw its early 4-2 lead wither to a 7-4 loss against No. 6 Hawai'i in a non-conference collegiate women's water polo contest at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex Saturday afternoon.
The Aggies fall to 11-7 for the season. The Rainbow Wahine extend their win streak to nine, improving to 9-1 overall.
Ryan Sund and
Noelle Wijnbelt scored the other two goals for UC Davis, while goalkeeper
Sophia Noble posted nine saves to go with a pair of steals in 31 minutes in front of the cage. Lengtat scored her first goal in the third minute of the game to equalize at 1-1, then added her second with 6:30 left in the second quarter, again tying the game at 2-2.Â
Sund and Wijnbelt followed with even-strength goals at the 4:22 and 2:32 mark, respectively, giving the Aggies a 4-2 advantage later in the second frame. However, Lot Stertefeld netted a goal for Hawai'i at the 1:09 mark, closing the halftime gap to 4-3 and starting what ultimately became a run of five unanswered Wahine goals.
UC Davis shot just 4-for-15 in the game, while Hawai'i fared only marginally better at 7-for-21. Both teams locked down on power plays, with the Aggies failing on all five 6-on-5 chances and the Wahine converting only one of their seven.
Saturday's game closes out the regular season for both teams. The five active Big West Conference teams will convene at the league championship tournament, hosted by UC San Diego from April 30 to May 2. Fourth-seeded UC Davis will face fifth-seed Long Beach State in the lone quarterfinal game on Friday, then that winner will face top-seeded Hawai'i for Saturday's noon semifinal. Additional championship information is available at the Big West Conference website atÂ
https://bigwest.org/sports/2021/3/4/waterpolochamp21.aspx.
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.
