NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The No. 11 UC Santa Barbara women's water polo team picked up its sixth win in seven games on Saturday, defeating No. 22 CSUN 19-8 in its most one-sided game yet during Big West play.
The Gauchos improve to 19-6 overall and 2-1 in the conference, while the Matadors fall to 13-16 overall, 0-4 Big West.
Three different Gauchos recorded hat tricks, led by junior Sarah Snyder's sixth four-goal performance of the season. Senior Sarah Kreiser and freshman Caitlyn Snyder added three goals each.
Sarah Snyder opened the scoring with a goal less than 90 seconds in. She would secure her 10th hat trick of the year prior to the end of the first, scoring on a penalty with 45 seconds left to put UCSB up 4-2.
Junior Kate Coski provided the Gauchos with their other first quarter goal. Coski went on to finish with two goals of her own.
After concluding the opening period leading by just one goal, UCSB's offense would explode in the second frame. The Gauchos outscored the Matadors 7-1 in one of their most lopsided quarters of the season, as seven different Gauchos scored to send them into the half leading 11-4.
Santa Barbara would once again hold Northridge to a single goal in the third period, putting up four more goals on the other end to take a 15-5 lead into the fourth. In the final frame, a pair of goals from freshman Dani Kauahi in the final minute capped the Gauchos the 19-8 win.
Goalkeepers Kenzi Snyder and Becca Buck split their time in the cage evenly, as Snyder tallied five first half saves and Buck had six in the second half. Also finding the scoresheet for the Gauchos were Amelia Meckelborg, Kelly Murphy, Kate Pipkin and Amanda Legaspi.
UCSB has just two games remaining ahead of April 26-28's Big West Championships. The Gauchos close out their 2019 road slate at Hawaii next Saturday at 9:00 p.m.
