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Arizona Topples UCSB 11-8

Box Score

Mar. 8, 2015

Santa Barbara, CA - University of Arizona broke open a close game with a four goal run and won 11-8 on the road at UC Santa Barbara. The score was 3-3 about 17 minutes into the game when the Wildcats reeled off three unanswered goals to take a 6-3 halftime lead. Arizona scored the first goal after halftime and had their biggest lead of the game at 7-3 less than two minutes into the second half. Over the last 28 minutes of the game the Gauchos outscored the Wildcats 5-4. However, except for getting to within 2 goals with about ten minutes to play it never really felt like UCSB was catching up. It was too big a hole for the Gauchos when down three goals and then four goals. UCSB had come back from a four goal deficit on the road at San Diego but it didn't happen today. Senior Maya Dillard (Chesapeake City, MD) led all scorers with 6 goals to help the Wildcats to the win.  

Some might have thought a different outcome possible. In a recent common opponent match-up UCSB had beaten San Diego State 17-12 and San Diego State had beaten Arizona 15-12. Other common opponents were same result with the Gauchos winning bigger than Arizona in most cases. The Wildcats proved that each game day is it's own animal, though, and they did it in the midfield. Arizona decisively won the draw controls by getting 17 of the 21 draws in the game. Rachel Fuller, a 5'10" sophomore from West Chester, PA taking the draw for the Wildcats, had a lot to do with that, getting 8 of her team's 17 draw controls herself. The other Arizona players on the circle combined for the 9 remaining team draw controls.

The Gauchos outshot Arizona 25-17 but were 2 for 10 on free position shots, hit two pipes and also shot wide 3 times. The 20% efficiency by UCSB on their 8 meter free position attempts and 12 saves recorded overall for junior goal keeper Lauren Oslar (Petaluma, CA) of Arizona stymied any chance of a UCSB comeback.  The Gauchos looked mostly out of kilter all game.

"Hats off to Arizona today." commented UCSB head coach Paul Ramsey.  "Congratulations to them on this one but I look forward to a possible re-match at the WWLL Tournament in April."

UCSB midfielder Alexi Cheney led her team in ground balls for the second game in a row. The freshman from Winnetka, CA had 5 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers and a draw control offset by zero turnovers. Junior defender Cailan Howey (Charlotte, NC) led the defense with 6 caused turnovers and 4 ground balls. Junior Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) led UCSB in scoring with 2 goals and 1 assist. UCSB sophomore Maddy Montague (Aliso Viejo, CA) found the net twice and had two goals on two shots.

UCSB dropped to 7-5 overall, 4-3 in WWLL play and experienced their first loss to University of Arizona. The Wildcats improved to 5-5 overall & 4-2 in WWLL games. The Gauchos have a break in the game schedule, for dead week and finals week in the quarter system academic calendar, before resuming play in April. Arizona, heading into spring break next, resumes plays at the Mile High Invitational in Boulder, Colorado when they take on the club from Michigan on March 27th.