SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The 11^th-ranked University of California San Diego women's water polo team concluded play at UC Santa Barbara's Winter Invitational Sunday with a 15-12 overtime upset of No. 10 Pacific and a 17-2 loss to third-ranked UCLA.

UC San Diego began the day with a thriller against Pacific as sophomore Krista Schneider scored the game-tying goal with just seconds remaining in regulation to send the match into overtime. In OT, the Tritons outscored the Tigers, 5-2, to pull off the upset.

In the second game of the day, UCSD could not hold off a powerful UCLA offense and struggled to find offensive output itself.

The Tritons finished 2-2 overall at the two-day tournament.

GAME ONE – UCSD 15, UOP 12 (OT)
Senior Alexis Wieseler put the Tritons on the board first with back-to-back goals in the opening minutes of the match. UOP responded with three goals of its own to take a 3-2 lead. With just over two minutes remaining in the period, senior Lauren Boyer added her first goal of the day, however the Tigers scored again to end the quarter with a lead.

In the second frame, UCSD used four goals to regain the lead, 7-6. Boyer scored three times, while classmate Lani Tittle notched one during. The Triton defense held the Tigers to only two goals in the period.

Boyer and Schneider each scored in the early minutes of the third quarter to give UC San Diego a three-goal lead, 9-6. Pacific rounded out the frame with back-to-back goals to cut the Triton lead to one.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Tigers' Ellen Tiedermann found the back of the net to even the game at nine apiece. UOP scored again with under two minutes to go to regain the lead. However, Schneider's game-tying goal with :36 seconds on the clock sent the contest into overtime.

The Tritons dominated in both extra periods to earn their second victory of the year. Boyer added two goals while Tittle, Wieseler and junior Kayla Fedler each had one.

Boyer totaled a game-high seven goals. Wieseler had three while Tittle and Schneider each scored twice and Fedler once.

Freshman Reilly Gallagher made 11 saves in goal.

“I was very impressed with how our team played against Pacific today,” said UCSD head coach Brad Kreutzkamp. “We scored in the final seconds to send the game to overtime and then played extremely well against a very tough team and came up with the win.”

GAME TWO – UCLA 17, UCSD 2
Facing their third-nationally ranked opponent in 48 hours, the Tritons were unable to overcome the powerful UCLA attack and came up short in their final game of the UC Santa Barbara Winter Invitational.

Boyer found the back of the net in the second quarter to put UCSD on the board. She capped her impressive weekened of play with 12 total goals over the four contests.

Wieseler rounded out the Triton scoring with a goal in the third frame. She amassed 10 goals during the tournament.

Gallagher played all four quarters in goal and tallied seven saves.

“Overall I think we played great this weekend,” Kreutzkamp said. “I am excited to see us move forward into our season.”

UC San Diego takes a break prior to hosting its annual Triton Invitational, scheduled for Feb. 11-12 at Canyonview.

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