Oct. 26, 2008

UC Davis 12, Air Force 10 (Scoresheet)

UC DAVIS 12, AIR FORCE 10

Senior Adam Bennett, junior Jim Breen and sophomore Aaron Salit each scored two goals to lead 11th-ranked UC Davis to a 12-10 win over 20th-ranked Air Force in the first of three men's collegiate water polo games at Schaal Aquatics Center Sunday.

Bennett hit a pair of five-meter penalty shots, while Salit scored both of his goals on 6-on-5 situations. Breen scored his first goal on a man-up chance in the second period, then converted his five-meter penalty attempt in the third.

UC Davis ran up five unanswered goals in the second quarter, getting a goal and assist from senior two-meter Paul Wilson. After a 7-4 halftime deficit, the Falcons scrambled back with three goals in the third, then Jason Fung nailed a third-chance shot early in the fourth to tie the game at 8-8

However, the Aggies immediately regained the lead as Salit hit his second goal with 6:29 remaining, then Cory Lyle finished a counterattack 25 seconds later to push the lead back to 10-8.

Senior driver Grant Muenter put on a one-man show in the final minutes to help seal the win. He posted a steal at midtank, then immediately drew an exclusion by Bobby Geiger. Shortly after, he scored a goal off the head of Air Force keeper David Ostrom to ice the game at 12-9.

Kevin Williams led the Falcons with three goals, including a 6-on-5 goal in the fourth that cut the Aggie lead to just 10-9. Tyler Hewko and Matt Versage each scored two goals for Air Force.

The Falcons face Long Beach State at 12:30 p.m., then the Aggies finish the tripleheader with a game against the 49ers at 4 p.m.

Long Beach State 12, Air Force 9 (Scoresheet)

LONG BEACH STATE 12, AIR FORCE 9

Three different 49er players scored two goals each as 10th-ranked Long Beach State defeated 20th-ranked Air Force, 12-9, in a non-conference men's collegiate water polo game at UC Davis' Schaal Aquatics Center Sunday afternoon. The contest was the second of three games on Sunday's slate.

Senior two-meter defender Kevin Williams led the Falcons with four goals, while junior hole setter Alex Churnside added two. Air Force scored six of its nine goals on 6-on-5 chances, while Long Beach State had seven of its 12 on such opportunities.

Senior Jake Kinne, junior Jeff Greenwood and freshman Shane Luth each had two goals for the Beach. LBSU ran up a 5-1 lead by the midway point of the second period, but saw its lead diminish to 5-3 by the halftime break.

Bobby Geiger and Churnside each converted man-up opportunities early in the third period to tie the game at 5-5, then the two teams traded goals to lock the game at 6-6 with 2:32 remaining in the third period.

The Beach pulled away in the final minute of that third quarter, first on an Aleksander Petrovic 6-on-5 goal, then on Luth's rebound and putback with 20 ticks remaining, sending the 49ers into the fourrth with a two-goal edge.

Williams' fourth goal cut the LBSU lead to 8-7, but Air Force never approached any closer after that point. Kevin vanHaaster and Luth hit back-to-back goals for the 49ers midway in the final period, extending the lead to 7-10.

Long Beach State 9, UC Davis 7

Story to follow.