No. 13 UCSB (11-6) came from behind to defeat visiting Bucknell (10-10) on Monday afternoon at Campus Pool by way of an 11-7 score. Senior Gillian Morgan, who posted six goals in the victory, led the Gauchos.
The Gauchos got on the scoreboard first, 2:28 into the first quarter, when Morgan scored the first of her four six-on-five goals. During the next possession, the Bison tied the game with a lob shot from Aubrey Rowe. Less than a minute later, Haley Prickett took advantage of Bucknell’s first six-on-five and captured the lead for the Bison.
With 3:42 to go in the first, Morgan scored another man-up goal, tying the game at 2-2. Rowe followed with consecutive goals – including a five-meter penalty goal – to put the Bison ahead, 4-2. Alyssa Rangel cut the Bucknell advantage to just one goal with six seconds left in the period after scoring on a cross-cage shot.
Trailing by one in the second quarter, Morgan converted a six-on-five to tie the game at 4-4. Just a minute later, Kandis Canonica tallied a power play goal of her own, taking the lead back at 5-4. That would be the final Bison lead of the game however. With 51 seconds to go in the first half, Jillian Waldron scored during a six-on-five and tied the game 5-5 heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, Morgan tallied back-to-back goals to gain the advantage for the Gauchos at 7-5. Canonica posted the lone Bucknell goal of the quarter with 42 seconds on the clock. Just 20 seconds later, Claire Buchanan scored out of center to give UCSB an 8-6 lead.
Lizzie Rouleau and Morgan tallied consecutive goals in the first five minutes of the fourth, giving UCSB its largest lead of the game at 10-6. Valentina Rozas converted the final six-on-five of the game with 2:29 to go, but Kristin Kulakowski pushed the Gauchos lead back to four goals 28 seconds later with a goal out of center. That was the final goal of the game and UCSB took the 11-7 victory.
Goalkeeper Kate Murphy tallied four saves in the win while Bucknell’s Alison Carter tallied eight and Brittany Connell had two.
The Gauchos have won seven of their last eight games, including five home wins over the last five days.
UCSB will be back in action after a two-week break for finals on Monday, March 23 when they host Iona at 12 p.m. at Campus Pool. Admission is free for the Gauchos’ three remaining home contests.
UCSB 11, Bucknell 7
1 2 3 4 Final
Bucknell 4 1 1 1 7
UCSB 3 2 3 3 11
Bucknell Goals: Aubrey Rowe 3, Kandis Canonica 2, Valentina Rozas 1, Haley Prickett 1.
Bucknell Saves: Alison Carter 6, Brittany Connell 2.
UCSB Goals: Gillian Morgan 6, Claire Buchanan 1, Lizzie Rouleau 1, Alyssa Rangel 1, Kristin Kulakowski 1, Jillian Waldron 1.
UCSB Saves: Kate Murphy 4.
