LA JOLLA, Calif. — The No. 19 UC Santa Barbara Women's Water Polo team found their scoring form on Saturday but were held out of the win column in heartbreaking fashion, falling in close contests against Concordia Irvine and Cal State Fullerton. Redshirt freshman Brynn Tully had a breakout game against the Eagles, putting up a hat-trick for her first collegiate goals, plus one more against the Titans. Molly Souza had a team-high five goals on the day, four of them against Cal State Fullerton in the afternoon.
 
No. 19 UC SANTA BARBARA 12, CONCORDIA IRVINE 13
The odd-numbered quarters were good for the Gauchos in the morning but unfortunately there were a pair of even-numbered quarters in the game too, and those spelled defeat for Santa Barbara. Loretta Hovey opened the scoring from a five-meter penalty shot, and Souza scored on a powerplay to extend the lead. The Eagles pulled one back on a penalty shot of their own, but Lainey Weintre answered. When Concordia scored in the final minute of the frame, it was Cami Mras to provide another Gaucho answer, just 12 seconds before the horn.
 
However, the Eagles rattled off three unanswered goals to start the second quarter. Tully scored her first collegiate goal to end that run, but the Eagles restored their lead shortly afterwards. Even when Hovey tucked home a second penalty of the first half, Concordia again responded and led by a goal at the break. Their lead stretched to three with two goals to start the second half, but then Santa Barbara fought back with a four-goal run of their own. Weintre kicked it off, Tully kept it rolling, Mras chipped in and then Eliza Harlow dented the twine to bring the Gauchos back ahead.
 
The Eagles scored first in the fourth, putting home back-to-back goals to re-take the lead. Hadley Hall scored to tie the game again, but it stayed that way for just 20 seconds before Concordia was back on top. Tully completed her hat trick with two minutes left to play, but the Eagles scored last to finish on top.
 
No. 19 UC SANTA BARBARA 9, CAL STATE FULLERTON 11
Tully stayed hot in the afternoon, opening the scoring on the Gauchos' first possession. After two Titan goals swung the lead their way, Souza and Hovey scored to swing it back to Santa Barbara. But a three-goal run, the first of two pivotal runs in the game, but the Titans back on top, 5-3, with two minutes left in the half. Emmerson Ferriera reduced the arrears to just a single goal by scoring 64 seconds before the break, but the Gauchos would ultimately never lead again.
 
Fullerton scored first in the third, though Souza answered to keep it a one-goal game. Fullerton scored again, and again the Gauchos answered, this time with goals from Zoe Ann Watson — the first of her career — and Souza to bring the scores level. However, the Titans were next to score, kicking off what would be the decisive 4-0 run between the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth.
 
Souza did score with 3:28 left on the clock to bring the Gauchos within three; a manageable margin under the rule of thumb that a goal per minute is reasonably achievable. Defensively, Santa Barbara did what they needed to, not letting the Titans get any further in front, but they only managed one goal in those last three minutes of play, and the comeback came up short.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will look to finish the weekend on a high note Sunday morning, as they take on No. 25 Pomona-Pitzer at 9 a.m. from the Canyonview Aquatics Center in La Jolla.