Air Force Academy

Oct. 24, 2009

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -

Taking both of its games into extra periods, the 15th-ranked Air Force water polo team registered a pair of overtime victories Saturday at The Rodeo, hosted by Santa Clara. The Falcons, who move to 13-9 overall and 7-2 in the WWPA, opened the day with an 8-7 win over 13th-ranked UC Davis, followed by a 9-8 decision against Brown.

In its opening game against conference rival UC Davis, Air Force found itself in an early hole, trailing 6-2 at the end of the first half. However, the Falcons came back strong after the break, limiting the Aggies to just one second-half goal. Air Force outscored UC Davis, 3-0, in the fourth period, to tie the game at 7-7, sending the game into overtime.

While neither team was able to score in the first overtime session, senior Alex Churnside (Orange, Calif.) was able to put the Falcons on the board in the second overtime period, as Air Force went on to take the 8-7 victory.

Junior Bobby Geiger (Buellton, Calif.) was the leading scorer for the Falcons against the Aggies, tallying four goals, while Churnside, Cruz Smithson (Fr., Capistrano Beach, Calif.), Jack Hines (Sr., Riverside, Calif.) and Jason Fung (Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii) scored a goal each. Meanwhile, senior goalkeeper David Ostrom (Mission Viejo, Calif.) tallied 12 saves in the winning effort.

The Falcons wrapped up the day against Brown, a team which received votes in the latest national poll. This time, Air Force got out to a 3-1 lead after one period, but the Bears were able to tie the game at 3-3 going into the second half. The Falcons regained their advantage in the third stanza, going up 6-5, but Brown won the fourth period, tying the game at 7-7 to send Air Force into its second overtime contest of the day.

Hines led Air Force's offense against Brown with three goals, while Geiger and Matt Versage (Jr., Merced, Calif.) added two scores each. Smithson and Taque Patino (So., Rockford, Mich.) accounted for the final Air Force goals. Ostrom had another outstanding performance in the cage, registering 20 saves in the contest.

The Falcons conclude play at The Rodeo tomorrow with a pair of games. Air Force will take on No. 19 St. Francis at 9:20 a.m. (PT), followed by a conference match-up with 16th-ranked host Santa Clara at 2:40 p.m.

No. 15 Air Force 8, No. 13 UC Davis 7

Air Force               1      1      2      3      0  0          8

UC Davis              4      2      1      0      0  0          7

AF Scoring: Geiger 4, Smithson, Hines, Fung, Churnside

UCDScoring: N/A

No. 15 Air Force 9, Brown 8

Air Force               3      0      3      1      1  1          9

Brown                   1      2      2      2      0  1          8

AF Scoring: Hines 3, Geiger 2, Versage 2, Smithson, Patino

BUScoring: N/A