The No. 13 UCSB women’s water polo team posted consecutive wins on Friday afternoon at the Cal Lutheran Spring Classic. The Gauchos defeated St. Francis, 14-6, and then immediately took down La Verne, 18-11, in the following game.
With the victories, UCSB improves to 12-7 on the season.
The Gauchos got out to a quick lead in the game against St. Francis as they piled on four goals in the first five minutes of the game. St. Francis scored with three minutes to go to halt the UCSB onslaught, but Katie Zakula scored with four seconds to go in the quarter to bring the Gaucho lead back to four goals heading into the second.
UCSB fired off five unanswered goals, including a pair from Kristin Kulakowski, to push its lead to 10-1 in the first minute of the third quarter. The two teams each posted five goals during the second half and the Gauchos finished with the 14-6 win.
Kulakowski led the team with a hat trick while Michelle Beaudreau and Justine Ramos each chipped in a pair of goals. Chelsea Carrillo had eight saves in the win and Ruth Milne posted two in the first quarter.
During the second game of the day, Kathryn Nelson scored both of her goals within 30 seconds of each other to help the Gauchos gain a 6-0 lead in the first quarter. Consecutive goals by Kulakowski in the opening two minutes of the second stretched the UCSB advantage to eight goals. La Verne managed to pour in two points during the back half of the quarter to avoid a first-half shutout.
The two teams each scored nine goals in the second half, but UCSB’s first half goals kept La Verne out of striking distance. The Gauchos finished well ahead, 18-11.
Kulakowski led the team with five goals in the game, bringing her total for the day to eight goals. Carrillo had four saves in three quarters of work and Milne chipped in two.
