BERKELEY – The No. 7 UC Davis men's water polo team held a lead through half time against the defending national champions, but ultimately fell to the No. 2 California Golden Bears, 16-12, on Wednesday night at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
 
"We played well, very well at times, but in the end, we were punished by Cal for the mistakes we made," head coach Daniel Leyson said. "Such is the nature of playing against a team with so many talented players."
 
UC Davis dips to 9-6 overall on the season. The Bears improved to 13-1 on the year.
 
Junior utility Aleix Aznar Beltran led the offensive juggernaut for the Aggies tonight with a season-high four goals. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Aaron Wilson made 12 saves in the defensive effort.
 
The Aggies got off to a high-flying start, holding a 5-3 lead after eight minutes. Redshirt sophomore utility Tyler Mrkaich tallied two of the UC Davis five goals in the first frame, scoring in his third straight match.
 
The Bears responded early into the second frame, finding the back of the twine three straight times. However, UC Davis would turn on the jets and score four in a row, including the completion of Aznar Beltran's hat trick, to carry a 9-6 lead into halftime.
 
California utilized the strong third period, scoring four times while allowing just one to set up an enticing fourth quarter deadlocked at 10-10. Redshirt junior central defender Aaron Voggenthaler scored the lone goal for the Aggies in the third frame for his second of the contest.
 
The Bears scored first to take a 11-10 lead early into the fourth quarter, but the Aggies answered right back on a 6-on-5 goal by Anderson. The Bears then scored three more times, making it a steeper climb for the Aggies.
 
UC Davis tried to complete the comeback with several attacks, but the Bears' defense stood up in the final moments and secured a 16-12 victory.
 
The Aggies return home to face Concordia and Fresno Pacific on Sunday at 10 am and 1 pm PT, respectively.