The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Water Polo team gave its long-tenured, veteran captain Cami Mras her Senior Day send-off on Saturday, recognizing the redshirt senior for all of her contributions to the program following their final home match of the season, against No. 16 UC San Diego.
Despite being double-teamed for much of the afternoon, Mras registered an assist in the game — her 94th for the Gauchos — setting up one of Santa Barbara’s eight goals in the 15-8 defeat. Molly Souza scored twice to lead the Gaucho offense on the day.
“Cami has had a wonderful career as a Gaucho,” UCSB head coach Emma Myall said. “I think there’s no better way to end than with just her being the one, last standing of that class that came in, I think that’s really special for her.
“She has not only led in the pool but outside of the pool, in the academic world for these girls, and they love to call her ‘grandma.’ I think, in that way, she has made it clear that she is a true veteran and really knows what the Gaucho Grit means. So, we’re going to miss her. She is the best.”
Santa Barbara started the game with a solid first quarter, keeping pace with the 16th-ranked Tritons. After UC San Diego scored the opener, Isabel Valaika provided the answer for the Gauchos.
Two Triton goals later, Souza scored her first of the day to bring Santa Barbara back within a goal inside the final minute of the quarter.
A goal a second before the buzzer gave the visitors a 4-2 lead heading into the second, and they out-scored the Gauchos 4-1 in the second for what was the most lopsided frame of the day.
Souza scored her second goal during that quarter, the last score for Santa Barbara before halftime.
After halftime, the Gauchos were much better. The Tritons scored twice early, but Santa Barbara got both of those goals back, with Hadley Hall and Gigi Rimlinger tallying consecutive scores.
UC San Diego scored on a power play inside the final minute, but this time it was Santa Barbara’s turn to get the last laugh, with Phoebe DeMoss powering a shot through the Triton goalie’s outstretched hands with 21 seconds remaining. The third quarter went down as a 3-3 tie, with the score 11-6 in the visitors’ favor entering the fourth.
Zoe Gabriel made it two consecutive Gaucho goals for the second time in the game by scoring the first goal of the fourth, and for the first four minutes of the quarter, Santa Barbara kept their opponents off the board.
UC San Diego did eventually score four goals in the frame, with Brynn Tully scoring to provide just one in response for the Gauchos.
Santa Barbara now heads to The Big West Championship in Long Beach, where they will open the weekend by taking on No. 6 Hawai’i, who finished as The Big West Regular Season Champions and will have the No. 1 seed in the tournament.