Box Score DAVIS, Calif. – Competing in their first match since Mar. 8, 2020, the No. 17 Pacific women's water polo team (0-1) returned to action to begin their 2021 season on Sunday afternoon, but unfortunately fell to No. 12 UC Davis (2-2), 14-8, on the road at Schaal Aquatics Center.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Unable to find much momentum out of the gates, the Aggies would score the first five points of the match as the Tigers would not get on the board until a goal from redshirt senior Truly Dorland with 55 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. At the end of the first, UC Davis held the early 5-1 advantage.
- Falling into a deficit as the second quarter began, the Aggies stretch their lead to nine (10-1) on a goal from Grace Pelkey at the 1:36 mark. However, Pacific respond shortly thereafter with a quick three-goal run to close the first half, which saw Dorland and juniors Toula Falvey and Ana Martinez do Amaral find the back of the net for UOP.
- Heading into intermission, Pacific trailed UC Davis, 10-4, still well within striking distance.
- Although the Aggies would score first again out of the break, Dorland recorded her first hat trick of the season with her third goal of the day at 4:50 in the third, cutting the UC Davis lead to 11-5. Less than one minute later at 3:57, do Amaral netted her second of the contest to keep steady with the Aggies, 12-6.
- In the closing minutes of the third, junior Lucy Davis scored for the Tigers in addition to do Amaral tallying her own hat trick as Pacific climbed to within four of UC Davis with 1:13 remaining in the quarter. At the end of three, the score would hold tight, with the Aggies on top, 12-8.
- Unfortunately, UC Davis defended their home pool when it mattered most, scoring twice in the fourth to push their lead to six. Keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard entirely in the final quarter, the No. 12 Aggies held on to secure their first home victory of the season, 14-8.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- After redshirting in 2020, Dorland returned to the pool in a big way, notching three goals on four total shots.
- For do Amaral, it marked her first hat trick since a three-goal performance against No. 6 California on Feb. 8, 2020.
- Leading the team with six total points, Davis recorded five assists and one goal in her season debut.
- In the cage, freshmen Isabelle Knittle and Emanuella Nathan made their debuts in the Orange & Black, combining for six saves and six steals in their first minutes as Tigers.
UP NEXT:
Pacific will return home to Stockton as they prepare for their home opener next Friday, Mar. 6 when they are set to host Santa Clara at 5:00 pm followed by another date with UC Davis on Sunday, Mar. 7 at 11:00 am. Both matches at Chris Kjeldsen Pool will be available to view via live streaming. Live stats will also be available via pacifictigers.com.
FOLLOW US:
For more information and updates on the Pacific women's water polo team, please follow the team on Twitter (@Pacific_WWP), Instagram (@pacificwaterpolo) and Facebook (@pacificwomenswaterpolo).
