California State University at Northridge
#13 UC Santa Barbara
The Matadors Defeat UC Santa Barbara on Senior Day
4/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
En Español
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.-
No. 9 CSUN Water Polo (14-10, 3-2 Big West) concluded its regular season schedule with a crucial 8-6 victory over No. 13 UC Santa Barbara (12-15, 1-3 Big West) on Saturday afternoon at Matador Pool. The win pushed the Matadors into second-place in the Big West Conference standings, as they prepare for Big West Conference Tournament beginning on April 24.
Senior Kiernan Davis moved into a tie for second-place all-time in school history by saving seven in the contest. With 763 career saves, Davis now sits in a tie with Garziella Caredda in the Matador record books.
Prior to the start of the match, Davis along with fellow seniors Bianca Adams, Kelcy Barott, Kelcie Ferreira, MacKenzy Fowler, Katie Kammer and Marisa Young, were honored for their respective individual accomplishments with CSUN. Family members and friends joined each senior for the special celebration.
Once the game commenced, the Matadors and Gauchos battled in a tight game in the early going. UCSB cracked the scoring column first with a goal in the third minute of the game. Three minutes later, Young scored her 214th goal of her career to nod the game at 1-1.
A goal by Miranda Schrader with 0:20 seconds left to play in the first pushed UCSB ahead 2-1. Following the goal, CSUN would go on to hold the Gauchos scoreless for next 16 minutes.
Goals by Fowler and Madeliene Sanchez gave the Matadors a 3-2 edge after two periods. In the third quarter, Barott scored two goals, 29 second apart, to give her team a 5-2 lead.
The Gauchos ended their scoreless drought with two goals to start the fourth to cut the deficit to 5-4. The Matadors would take control of the contest, however, scoring three more times in the fourth. Two scores by Fowler and a goal by Barott in the final period gave each senior a hat trick apiece for the contest.
Two late goals by the Gauchos would not be enough, as CSUN held on for an 8-6 win.
Along with her three goals, Barott registered seven steals for the Matadors, pushing her season total to 28. Ferreira added five steals of her own, giving her a team-leading 44 on the season.
CSUN Water Polo now looks ahead to the Big West Championship in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Depending on how the rest of the Big West Conference teams fare in the coming week, the Matadors will either begin the tournament on April 24 or April 25.
Should the Matadors finish in second place in the conference standings, CSUN will receive a bye in the first round and advance to the semi-finals on April 25. If the Matadors drop to the third seed, they will compete in the first round on April 24.
UCSB (12-15, 1-3) 2-0-0-4
CSUN (14-10, 3-2) 1-2-2-3
UCSB Goals: Schrader, Hudson, Wardle, Murphy 2, Fitzgerald
CSUN Goals: Barott 3 (35), Young (37), Fowler 3 (18), Sanchez (27)
UCSB Saves: Brokaw 8
CSUN Saves: Davis 7
(EDIT - 4/13/15 - Kiernan Davis was mistakenly stated to have 763 goals; Davis has 763 saves)
