The No. 10 UCSB men’s water polo team defeated nonconference foe No. 12 UC Davis 7-5 Friday during the Gauchos’ 2008 home opener at Campus Pool. Sophomore Milos Golic led the team with a hat trick in the victory.

With the win, UCSB improves to 3-2 on the season; UC Davis falls to 2-3 overall.

UCSB tallied the first goal of the game when Golic found the back of the net on a six-on-five opportunity a little more than two minutes into the first quarter. The first of Miles Price’s two goals ensued with 2:13 on the clock to give UCSB a 2-0 advantage heading into the first quarter break.

The Aggies’ Adam Bennett posted the first of his three goals during a man-up situation just 39 seconds into the second, but it would be the only UC Davis goal of the first half. Junior Stefan Partelow and Golic each scored during the back half of the second to stretch the Gaucho lead to 4-1 at half time.

A counter attack goal from junior Sean Castillo with 6:45 on the clock in the third quarter gave UCSB its largest lead of the game at 5-1. The Aggies rallied back 21 seconds later when Bennett tallied his second point of the game. Each team earned an ejection in the middle of the quarter, but only UCSB was able to convert its advantage into a goal as Price collected his second goal of the game with 3:36 left in the third.

Davis’ Danny Driscoll cut the Gaucho lead to three goals with 1:47 on the clock in the third and it looked as if the Aggies were going to come within two points when a five-meter penalty was called on Castillo as time ran out in the quarter. Junior goalkeeper Michael Robinson went left and blocked the Aggies’ free shot.

In the final quarter, UC Davis outscored UCSB 2-1 with a pair of six-on-five goals, but the Gauchos held-on for the 7-5 victory.

Gaucho goalkeeper Robinson had nine saves in the win while UC Davis’ Kevin Peat collected seven.

Lisa Skvarla is UCSB‘s assistant media relations director.

UC Santa Barbara 7, UC Davis 5
1 2 3 4 Final
UCD 0 1 2 2 5
UCSB 2 2 2 1 7

» UC Davis goals: Adam Bennett 3, Brendan Sigourney 1, Danny Driscol 1.

» UC Davis goalie saves: Kevin Peat 7.

» UC Santa Barbara goals: Milos Golic 3, Miles Price 2, Stefan Partelow 1, Sean Castillo 1.

» UC Santa Barbara goalie saves: Michael Robinson 9.