SARAGTOGA, Calif. - The Pacific women's water polo team opened the season with a 15-6 win over UC Davis Saturday at the LouStrong Invitiation in West Valley. Freshman Viktoria Tamas scored four times in her Pacific debut, while junior Kennedy Watson added three goals in her first game as a Tiger.
Karolina Hlavata, Rachel Krieger and Ellen Tiedemann each scored twice, while Kyra Christmas and Viktoria Szmodics also tallied goals. Alexis Hollinrake made 11 saves in goal for Pacific.
The Tigers stormed out of the gate with a 7-1 first quarter, and held UC Davis at bay, stretching the lead to 9-2 at halftime. Pacific outscored the Aggies 4-1 in the third and coasted home for the victory.
Tamas opened the scoring two minutes in, and Krieger and Tiedemann added even-strength goals for a 3-0 lead. Krieger set up Hlavata's first for a 4-0 lead before Christmas delivered a 6-on-5 goal. Krieger struck again with 42 seconds in the period for a 6-0 lead, but Hannah Harvey put the Aggies on the board. Hlavata beat the first quarter clock with a power-play goal for the 7-1 first quarter margin.
In the second, Szmodics converted a 6-on-5 opportunity before Paige Virgil scored for UC Davis with 1:26 to go in the half. Tamas answered on the Tigers next possession for a seven-goal lead at the half.
In the third, Tiedemann and Tamas each struck again for an 11-2 lead before Greta Kohlmoos answered for the Aggies. Watson and Tamas each added even strength goals before the end of the third.
Harvey and Kohlmoos tallied back to back for the Aggies in the fourth, but Watson, a transfer from Mercyhurst, picked up two even strength goals for a 15-5 lead before Audrey Taylor closed the scoring for UC Davis with 11 seconds left.
The Tigers converted 3-of-7 opportunities with the 6-on-5 advantage and killed off all seven of UC Davis' power play chances.
Caitlin Golding recorded 13 saves for UC Davis in goal.
The Tigers improve to 1-0 on the season, while UC Davis falls to 0-2 having lost to Stanford earlier in the day.
Pacific will face California on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at West Valley College Aquatic Center.
Pacific finished No. 15 in the final CWPA Top 20 last year, while UC Davis finished ranked 16. Stanford was the national runner up at No. 2 last season, with California ranked sixth in the final poll. The "Preseason" poll will be released next week.
