DAVIS, Calif. - A seven-goal fourth quarter lifted the No. 8 UC San Diego women's water polo team to a 15-8 win at No. 15 UC Davis Saturday in both teams' first Big West game of the season.
For the second time in her last three games
Caroline Christl scored a career-high seven goals.
UC San Diego improved to 11-9 while UC Davis dropped to 9-10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons never trailed in the game, but the Aggies were able to tie it up late.
With UC San Diego ahead 8-7, UC Davis knotted it with a power play goal at the 6:38 mark of the fourth quarter. However, the Tritons responded by outscoring the Aggies 7-1 the rest of the way. Five different Tritons scored during the run, which included two goals each for Christl and
Kendall Thomas.
Courtney Okumura and
Abigail Schechter each scored a pair of goals for the Tritons.
Lucia Doak and
Sydney Munatones both had a goal.
Lexi Stahl made eight saves in the win.
For the Aggies, Sofia Bozzo and Bridget Miller each scored twice. Ava Stine had four saves.
It was the second win over UC Davis this season. The two teams met on Feb. 21 at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational with the Tritons taking an 11-8 non-conference victory.
WHAT HEAD COACH BRAD KREUTZKAMP HAD TO SAY
"Coming into Davis and winning is never easy. I'm very proud of this team and the resilience it showed breaking away in the fourth quarter. We're very deep and I think that's showing late in games for us."
TRITON TIDBITS
• UC San Diego is 5-1 in Big West openers
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Caroline Christl's first seven-goal game this season came on Feb. 22 at UC Irvine, a 12-11 win.
UP NEXT
Continuing Big West play, UC San Diego hosts UC Irvine on March 8 at noon. It will be the team's first home game since Feb. 2.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
