SANTA BARBARA — Sophomores Jessica Dunn and Carmen Eggert each scored two goals to lead fifth-seeded UC Davis to a 9-7 win over second-seeded Cal State Northridge in the third-place game of the Big West Conference women’s water polo tournament.

The game was played Sunday afternoon at UC Santa Barbara’s Campus Pool.

The Aggies, ranked 18th nationally in Wednesday’s coaches’ poll, finish their season at 20-12. The 15th-ranked Matadors end up at 21-16 overall.

Ariel Feeney, Dakotah Mohr, Alicia Began, Becca Smith and Carey Faber also had goals for UCD. Junior two-meter Heidi Pettinger posted a hat trick for Northridge, scoring on two 6-on-5 goals and a five-meter penalty shot for her game-high offensive output.

The two teams traded goals for the first four minutes of play before Pettinger’s successful power play set the Matadors to a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining in the second period. Dunn and Began scored early in the second period to reclaim the lead for the Aggies, then after a Leah Janke goal equalized at 4-4, Eggert netted two tallies to give UCD the advantage for good.

The sophomore attacker hit a penalty shot with 2:37 remaining in the half and a natural goal at the 1:29 mark, helping the Aggies hold a 6-5 halftime edge.

Smith and Faber posted goals midway through the third to stretch the Aggie lead to three. Dunn connected with 2:40 left in the third for her second goal and her team’s ninth.

Cal State Northridge had three extra-man opportunities in the fourth quarter but was unable to convert. Junior goalie Dana Harvey kept her team in the game with five saves in the final frame. Her counterpart, Aggie sophomore Riane Woods, recorded seven stops, including two against Matador 6-on-5 attempts in the first half.

UCD women’s water polo has posted 12 seasons with 20 or more wins during its 14-year varsity history.

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