No. 16 UC Santa Barbara (12-10) returned home Saturday afternoon, defeating Harvard 10-9.
The Gauchos were on fire in the first quarter of the game. Junior Katie Zakula scored the first goal within the first three minutes of the quarter. Sophomore Molly Hafferkamp scored the second goal of the quarter, pulling UCSB further into lead. After the Gauchos obtained a penalty shot, junior Bryce Winton sealed the deal and made the penalty, sinking it past Harvard’s goalie Ariel Dukes. The goals went unanswered by Harvard, and UCSB led 3-0.
Harvard (8-6) came to life in the second quarter when they scored the first three goals of the game, consecutively. Zakula scored her second goal of the game, putting the Gauchos on the board in the second quarter. Harvard snuck one last goal in before the end of the half, tying up the score 4-4.
UCSB scored the first three goals of the second half. Hafferkamp scored her second goal of the game kicking off the third quarter. Freshman Lauren Martin followed right behind her putting one in the back of the Harvard net, and Zakula scored her hat trick goal two minutes later. Harvard responded scoring only one goal. Junior Kacey Creek scored the last one for the Gauchos, and they ended the quarter in the lead, 8-6.
Harvard began the fourth quarter with a goal. Hafferkamp scored her hat trick goal immediately after, when she threw it over her shoulder into the Harvard goal. The Crimson scored three total goals that quarter, and with one more scored by junior Sienna van Alphen, UCSB claimed the win 10-9.
The Gauchos are home again in two weeks when they play No. 2 Stanford (14-1) on Sunday, March 25, and No. 7 (Division I/II) Brown (10-6) on Monday March 26, 2012.
