SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – After a tight game which saw the No. 11 UC Santa Barbara men's water polo team go point-for-point with No. 8 UC Irvine for three quarters, the Gauchos punched through the wall with a fourth quarter scoring spree en route to an 11-6 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Goalscorers: Brosnan (2), Hawkins (2), McFarland, Sutter, Gregory, Nangle, Hoover, Oriskovich, Redoutey
Saves: Danny Roland (15)
While UCI landed the first point on the board, back-to-bback field blocks and strong efforts in the cage kept the score count low in the first quarter. Outsmarting the UCI defense, Sam Nangle created wide open space for a slam dunk from center in the fourth minute of play to bring the score even at 1-1. Ryan Brosnan followed the attack a minute later, launching a smooth stunner from the outside on a power play to put Santa Barbara in the lead at 2-1 going into the second.
Operating within a one-goal differential, the point advantage shifted back-and-forth from both teams the rest of the first half. Luke Redoutey, Shane Hoover, and Logan Sutter each contributed a goal to the Gauchos, bringing the score to 5-4 in Santa Barbara's favor at the halftime whistle.
The ball saw even less time in the back of the net in the third quarter. Weathering offensive attacks, strong efforts in the cage from both home goalkeeper Danny Roland and UCI goalie Jacob Pyle kept the eight minute period to just two goals – one each for the Gauchos and the Anteaters.
By the end of the quarter, Roland had notched 12 saves, reinforcing his status as a major asset for the Gaucho defense.
With the score refusing to exceed a one-goal advantage for either side, both teams were hungering for the win as the clock began to wind down.
James Oriskovich came off the bench and took it upon himself to break the pattern, with a wicked turn-to-shot combo from center in the fourth quarter's first minute of play, pushing Santa Barbara's advantage to 7-5. The Gauchos then capitalized on this momentum shift, with Tommy Hawkins and Dash McFarland leading the charge in a campaign of successful attacks. Hawkins scored a pair of goals to seal the win, helping the Gauchos nearly double their goal count in the final quarter alone, ending the game with a solid 11-6 win at the final whistle.
The win was UCSB's first over a higher-ranked opponent this season.
NEXT UP
UCSB has three games remaining in the regular season, beginning with a road game at No. 15 San Jose State on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1:00 p.m.
