No. 18 UC Santa Barbara (14-10, 1-4) outscored No. 16 Long Beach State, 3-0 during overtime to capture an 8-5 Big West Conference victory over the 49ers at Long Beach’s Campus Pool.
Long Beach State got on the board first, scoring with 4:33 left in the first period as Krizia Cerda converted on a penalty shot. The Gauchos evened the score with a six-on-five goal with 1:27 in the first.
The Gauchos took a 3-2 lead into the half after scoring two more power play goals, and the team’s traded goals in the third as UCSB held on to a 4-3 lead.
A fifth six-on-five goal – Claire Buchanan’s third on the day – put the Gauchos ahead, 5-3. Long Beach pulled back one after Meaghan Leonard stuffed in a rebound with 4:30, and then Heather McKeon tied the match to send the game to overtime.
The Gauchos controlled most of the possession in the overtime periods and earned the win with three goals, including two early in the second overtime period.
Santa Barbara played Sonoma State in a nonconference neutral site contest after its game with the 49ers. Results from that game are not yet available.
UCSB will travel to Pacific next weekend for the inaugural Big West Conference Women’s Water Polo Championships. The conference tournament will take place April 24-26.
Earlier this year UCSB Athletics unveiled the BE Great initiative. BE Great is dedicated to maximizing leadership ability, strong on-campus interaction, and general welfare for all 450 student-athletes and Intercollegiate Athletics staff at UC Santa Barbara. BE Great also focuses on personal and career development, diversity, and social awareness, along with ensuring academic success. UCSB has a 92% student-athlete graduation rate.
#18 UC Santa Barbara 8, #16 Long Beach State 5
1 2 3 4 OT 1 OT2 Final UCSB 1 2 1 1 1 2 8 LBSU 1 1 1 2 0 0 5
UCSB Goals: Claire Buchanan 3, Gillian Morgan 2, Kathryn Nelson 1, Lizzie Rouleau 1,Katie Kepner 1.
UCSB Saves: Chelsea Carrillo 13.
Long Beach State Goals: Heather McKeon 2, Krizia Cerda 1, Cecilia Canetti 1, Meaghan Leonard 1.
Long Beach State Goalie Saves: Kristen Stragier 11.
