BERKELEY, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara men's water polo team (13-3) split its games on the second day of the 2021 MPSF Invitational hosted by Cal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game one: No. 3 Stanford 12, No. 5 UCSB 10
- UCSB went down 3-1 to Stanford in the first quarter, but tied it up on a pair of Leo Yuno goals.
- However, the Cardinal would end the period with a 5-4 lead and maintain the advantage until the first minute of the third frame.
- Sam Nangle, Cole Brosnan, and Nathan Puentes helped ensure that the Gauchos and Cardinal would be tied heading into the final quarter.
- However, UCSB was shut out over the final eight minutes, with Stanford finding the back of the cage on two separate occasions to win 12-10.
Game two: No. 5 UCSB 12, No. 7 UC Davis 11
- The Gauchos found themselves in a 3-1 deficit after the first period, but a 5-2 second quarter on three goals from Cole Brosnan, and one from each of Ryan Brosnan and Nangle, gave the blue and gold a 6-5 lead at the half.
- Davis opened the second half with a 3-0 run, taking the lead with 5:45 left, but two Cole Brosnan scores and one Dash McFarland goal later, UCSB regained the lead at the end of the quarter, 9-8.
- The Aggies scored back-to-back goals to open the fourth quarter to go ahead 10-9, before UCSB's Cole Brosnan and Nangle scored to put UCSB up 11-10.
- UCS Davis' Nir Gross made it 11-all with 1:29 left to play in regulation, but Tommy Hawkins found the game winner for the Gauchos with 43 seconds remaining to book the Gauchos' spot in the fifth-place match.
- Cole Brosnan totaled a season-high seven goals in the victory.
UP NEXT
UCSB takes on No. 8 Pacific at 10 a.m. for fifth place at the 2021 MPSF Invitational. Live stats will be available on UCSBGauchos.com.
