DAVIS – Trailing by four goals in the fourth quarter, the third-seeded UC Santa Barbara women’s water polo team mounted a comeback against second-seeded UC Davis and forced overtime in Saturday’s second Big West Conference Tournament semifinal game at the Aggies’ Schaal Aquatics Center.
The Aggies were able to tally two goals in the second overtime period to post a 7-5 victory over the Gauchos.
UCSB (20-14) will play fourth-seeded Cal State Northridge for third place in the tournament on Sunday at 12:15 p.m.
UC Davis will take on top-seeded UC Irvine in the title game at 2 p.m.
UC Davis had gotten on the scoreboard with two minutes remaining in the first with a goal from Ariel Feeney. She then assisted Elsie Fullerton early in the second to push the Aggies lead to 2-0. The Gauchos cut the UC Davis lead to one with 2:03 to play in first half when Bryce Winton scored the first of her two goals on a five-meter penalty shot.
The Aggies posted three unanswered goals in the third quarter, including a pair of six-on-five strikes to carry a deceptively comfortable 5-1 lead into the final quarter.
The Gauchos began to chip away at their deficit just over a minute into fourth when Kacey Creek converted a power play opportunity. Then, with just 4:27 left in regulation, Molly Hafferkamp hit an outside shot and then scored again on a rebound-and-putback with 1:39 to go to make it a one-point game.
Winton tied the game with a skip shot that landed inside the far post with 45 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Neither team scored in the first three-minute overtime period. In the second overtime, Ariel Feeney’s cross pass found Lyndsay Sutterly during a six-on-five with two minutes remaining. Sutterly scored the go-ahead goal and Jessica Dunn added an insurance goal with 1:20 left on the clock.
Ruth Milne tallied eight saves in the goal for the Gauchos.
UC DAVIS 7, UCSB 5 (OT)
UCSB 0 1 0 4 0 0 – 5
UC Davis 1 1 3 0 0 2 -7
UCSB Goals: Molly Hafferkamp 2, Bryce Winton 2, Kacey Creek.
UCSB Saves: Ruth Milne 8UC Davis Goals: Ariel Feeney 2, Jessica Dunn 2, Lyndsay Sutterley, Keelia Houston, Elsie Fullerton
UC Davis Saves: Riane Woods 12
