LOS ANGELES - The 10th-ranked and seventh-seeded UC San Diego women's water polo team limited seventh-ranked and sixth-seeded UC Santa Barbara to one goal in each of the first three quarters and took advantage of six-on-five situations to down the Gauchos by a final score of 10-5 in the first leg of the NCAA Championship consolation bracket, Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Center on the campus of UCLA.
The Tritons improve to a 28-10 record on the season, the most wins for a UCSD team directed by seventh-year head coach Brad Kreutzkamp, and ties a program record set in 1994. The result snaps a string of eight successive defeats for the Tritons in NCAA tourney play, dating back to a 15-8 victory over Pomona-Pitzer in Boston in 2013, when they placed a program-best sixth. UCSB drops to 18-14.
Redshirt junior two-meter defender Alexis Wieseler put away a game-high three goals and two assists to lead the Tritons. Senior attacker Emma Sasson recorded two goals and two assists. Junior two-meter defender Lani Tittle, senior attacker Julia Kirkland, junior center Lauren Boyer, freshman attacker Krista Schneider and senior attacker Laurel Kistler pitched in one score each. Senior goalie Courtney Miller controlled things inside the cage with 12 saves. Bryn Hudston was the leading scorer for the Gauchos with two goals. UCSB goalie Mackenzie Brokaw had two stops. Devon Gasparini came in relief for Brokaw in the last 1:26 of the game.
The Tritons won the penalty and power play battle as they drew seven exclusions and went 4-for-7 on six-on-five situations. The Gauchos drew five exclusions and capitalized on it twice.
UCSB took the first goal of the game, but UCSD answered back with three consecutive before the end of the period, including two on back-to-back possessions. Following the Gaucho's first score, Sasson found Tittle for a catch-and-shoot goal on a power play. The Tritons struck on their next offensive opportunity as Wieseler found the back of the cage from the left side. UCSD scored once more before the intermission as Sasson buried a skip shot on a power play. The Tritons led 3-1 at the end of the opening quarter.
With the power play on for UCSD in the second frame, Kirkland found Boyer at two-meters for a tap-in score. UCSB answered the call as Hudson nailed her second goal of the game on a counter attack. With 38 seconds remaining in the period Kistler rifled home a cross-cage shot from the left side to the upper right corner to give the Tritons a 5-2 advantage at halftime.
The Gauchos got a goal 24 seconds into the third quarter to cut the margin to two, but UCSD punched back with three consecutive scores. Sasson found herself isolated on the right side, faked a couple of times and nailed a cross-cage goal from the right side to the lower left corner. Kirkland had the second UCSD score of the period, assisted by Sasson, as she took advantage of the UCSB defense in mid-rotation after the Gauchos returned to even strength after an exclusion. With 36 ticks left before the intermission, Wieseler nailed a skip shot to the left side of the cage, under UCSB goalie Brokaw's outstretched arms. The Tritons led the Gauchos 8-3 going into the final frame.
UCSB got an early goal once again, this time 23 seconds into the fourth quarter. Wieseler completed her hat trick with her third score of the game, finding the lower left corner of the cage. With 52 ticks left in the contest, Schneider scored one from long range to a wide-open cage as UCSB goalie Gasparini came out to try and force a steal. Jenna Solberg got one for the Gauchos with 35 seconds remaining as the ball bounced off the post an in. UCSD ran out the clock for the five-goal win.
The Tritons will have a shot at the best finish in school history at the NCAA Championship, as they will play in the fifth-place game against sixth-ranked and fifth-seeded Arizona State on Sunday, May 15 at 1:45 p.m. UCSD fell to the Sun Devils in the regular season, 9-5, at the UC Irvine Invitational.
BOX SCORE
UCSD 3 2 3 2 - 10
UCSB 1 1 1 2 - 5
GOALS
UCSD: Alexis Wieseler 3, Emma Sasson 2, Laurel Kistler 1, Julia Kirkland 1, Lani Tittle 1, Lauren Boyer 1, Krista Schneider 1
UCSB: Bryn Hudson 2, Lauren Martin 1, Taylor Shore 1, Jenna Solberg 1
SAVES
UCSD: Courtney Miller 12
UCSB: Mackenzie Brokaw 2, Devon Casparini 0
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