The No. 10 UCSB women’s water polo team (14-6, 0-1 Big West) went head to head with No. 6 UC Irvine (9-6, 1-0 Big West) in their first Big West matchup of the 2023 season. The top-10 clash required overtime to find a winner, but it was the Anteaters who came out on top.
The Gauchos came out strong, holding a 2-0 lead after the first quarter. However, the Anteaters struck back in response as the two teams battled for control. The halftime whistle left the scoreboard reading 4-4. Never breaching more than a two point differential throughout all four quarters of play, the second half saw an equal show of ferocity. A tight battle left the teams in a tie at the final buzzer, resulting in a mandatory two halves of overtime. During these extra minutes, Irvine was able to notch two more goals, to bring the final score to 8-10 in favor of the home team. Caitlyn Snyder was able to contribute a two goal gift to the Gaucho effort, with other solo strikes coming from across the UCSB roster.
Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB.
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