LA JOLLA, Calif. —
Will Nomura finished off a lob pass from
Logan Anderson in sudden death to complete a dramatic overtime comeback against Long Beach State in the Big West Championship quarterfinal.
"We've been through a lot this season. We have the mindset to battle to the very end," Anderson said postgame.
Trailing by a goal and down to their final possession in the second overtime period, a triple teamed Holden Neach produced a no-look, over-the-head pass to Nomura in front of the goal to send the game into sudden death.
Tyler Mrkaich controlled the sprint to open sudden death, allowing the Aggies to have the first chance to win it. Not wasting any time, Nomura immediately drew an exclusion and the Aggies set up their winning powerplay.
"They took us as far as we could go," UC Davis head coach Dan Leyson said. "It's a shame someone had to lose."
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was the definition of a back-and-forth game, as the Aggies held the only multi-goal lead of the game for just thirty seconds before the Beach rallied to tie the game in the first quarter.
Three different Aggies scored in the first half, but the Beach entered the break leading 4-3. Ben Fleming and Aaron Voggenthaler headed the Aggie response in the third quarter, putting away two straight goals to retake the lead.
Long Beach State replied with two goals of their own before Nomura found the back of the net for his first goal of the night to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at six apiece. Each side exchanged three goals in the fourth to push the contest into overtime.
The Beach got on the board first, but could not hold the lead through to the end, paving the way for the Aggies' late game heroics.
Nomura finished with four goals and two exclusions drawn, while Voggenthaler contributed his fourth hat trick of the season. Max Stryker was a steady presence, chipping in four assists, while Anderson played a strong all-around game, finishing with two goals, an assist and three steals. Aaron Wilson recorded 13 saves and two steals and an assist while tending the net.
UP NEXT
UC Davis has a short turnaround and will face off against top seed UC Irvine at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow. Live stats will be provided through the FOSH, and ESPN+ will broadcast the game.
