Last weekend the 10th-ranked UC Davis women’s water polo team opened an 11-game homestand, which will encompass the rest of the regular season.
After a Friday afternoon win over Brown, UC Davis completed the sweep with Saturday wins over Hartwick and UC Santa Cruz.
Friday – UC Davis 12, Brown 7
After having a long two-week break for finals and spring break, the Aggies came out still on vacation against a weaker Brown opponent.
We played like we had not played a game in two weeks, said head coach Jamey Wright.
UC Davis would fight back after its slow start.
Paced by senior Casie Mota’s first half hat trick, the Aggies reversed an early 2-1 deficit to defeat Brown on Friday afternoon, 12-7.
Mota got us going, Wright said. She was a key, she had a good first half, offensively. We needed that.
Mota got help from senior Laura Uribe and redshirt freshman Rachelle Smith, each contributing two goals in the victory.
Saturday – UC Davis 4, No. 14 Hartwick 3
Seniors Ashley Greenwood and Christie Raycraft compounded a couple 6-on-5 goals in the second half to push UC Davis past No. 14 Hartwick, 4-3.
The Aggies hunted down the Hawks’ 2-1 halftime lead with skilled 6-on-5 play.
There was a really big difference in our 6-on-5 play said Wright, We have really been working on it
Although only two of the UC Davis’ goals were contributed to man-up exclusions, Mary Lowe’s goal in the third quarter immediately followed the 20-second exclusion period.
Led by Raycraft’s two key field blocks, the Aggies fought off two 6-on-5 attempts by Hartwick in the final minutes of the contest.
It’s a lot like basketball, Wright said. If you play good defense and make free throws (6-on-5s), then most of the time you will win. And we did both of those against Hartwick.
Saturday – UC Davis 20, UC Santa Cruz 7
For anyone who has yet to realize that UC Davis’ strength derives from their depth as a team, this game made it very clear.
Thirteen different players scored as the Aggies sunk the Slugs, 20-7.
It’s really nice to see that people who have not gotten the experience go out and play well when the opportunity arises, Wright said.
The second group was led by redshirt freshman center Lauren Seidemann, whose four strikes Saturday matched her previous season total of four goals.
Senior Madeline Stephenson also tallied her first hat trick of the season to help the Aggies bring out the broom for the weekend sweep.
UC Davis returns to Schaal Aquatics Center on Apr. 4 for a matchup with Colorado State.
Sammy Brasch can be reached at sports@californiaaggie.com.
