Score (Game 1): UC Davis 12, Indiana 13
Score (Game 2): UC Davis 21, Mercyhurst 4
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Canham Natatorium)
Records: UC Davis 7-9, Indiana 12-1, Mercyhurst 0-4
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — UC Davis women's water polo wrapped up the Midwest Invite with a dominant 21-4 victory over Mercyhurst after falling in a narrow 13-12 decision to No. 10 Indiana. The final day of the tournament was highlighted by a career-high five goals from
Nina Albers, alongside hat tricks from
Sofia Bozzo,
Lillie Vehling,
Sadie Henry, and
Chelsea Johnson.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)
- Liberty Massman opened the scoring for the Aggies in the first period off a Sadie Henry assist.
- Following several defensive stops and saves from both sides, Chelsea Johnson found the back of the net to extend the early Aggie lead.
- The Hoosiers answered with two goals of their own to close the first frame in a 2-2 tie.
- Gianna Nocetti won the opening sprint of the second quarter to give UC Davis the first possession.
- Johnson capitalized on a power play opportunity with an assist from HanaLora Abel to reclaim the lead.
- After Indiana moved ahead by one, Lillie Vehling evened the score at 4-4 with an unassisted strike.
- Following a UC Davis timeout, Vehling found the cage again off a Nocetti assist to put the Aggies back in front.
- Indiana managed a late goal in the final minute of the half to send the teams into the break knotted at 5-5.
- The Hoosiers took control in the third period, utilizing a 4-0 run to take their largest lead of the match.
- Margo Temple halted the Indiana momentum with a late strike off an Ali Giusti assist to close the third.
- Nocetti won her second sprint of the day to start the fourth, leading to a quick goal from Massman.
- Despite a three-goal surge from Indiana, the Aggies roared back with four unanswered goals to cut the deficit to one.
- During the late run, Sofia Bozzo converted a five-meter penalty shot followed by a hat trick goal from Johnson and two straight from Henry.
- After a final Indiana insurance goal, Henry completed her hat trick with just 42 seconds remaining in the match.
- The Aggie comeback effort ultimately ran out of time as the buzzer sounded on a narrow 13-12 final.
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)
- Massman and Madison Sparre each found the back of the cage early to spark a massive 7-0 Aggie run throughout the first quarter.
- Nocetti converted a penalty shot before Bozzo and Vehling combined for three goals to extend the lead.
- Temple solidified the first-quarter shutout with a penalty shot to put UC Davis ahead by seven entering the second frame.
- Nina Albers ignited the second period with a goal off a Katy Westphal assist before the Lakers got their first on the board.
- The Aggies countered with five straight strikes from Albers, Temple, Abel, Giusti, and Vehling to take a 13-1 lead into the half.
- Nocetti won her third sprint of the match to open the third quarter, setting the stage for a Johnson goal.
- Albers recorded her hat trick off an Ashley Wallin assist, while Sparre and Westphal both found the net for the Aggies.
- The Lakers added three goals of their own during the period to cut into the deficit.
- The third period concluded with UC Davis holding a commanding 17-4 advantage.
- The Aggies closed the match on a 4-0 uninterrupted run in the final frame, highlighted by two more goals from Albers to set a career-high with five in the contest.
- Vehling and Bozzo added late goals to complete their respective hat tricks and finalize the 21-4 UC Davis victory.
UP NEXT: The Aggies will host UC Santa Barbara to kick off Big West Conference play on Saturday, Feb. 21, with the match scheduled for 12:00 p.m. PT at Schaal Aquatic Center.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
