Air Force Academy

Nov. 21, 2008

CLAREMONT, Calif. - In a defensive battle, the sixth-seeded Air Force water polo team dropped a close 6-4 contest to third-seed UC Davis in the opening round of the Western Water Polo Association Championship, being hosted by Claremont.

The Falcons, currently ranked 20th in the nation, took the early 1-0 lead in the first quarter, and was able to keep 11th-ranked UC Davis scoreless in the opening period. The second period was low-scoring as well, with each team notching just one goal as Air Force took a 2-1 advantage at the half.

The Aggies fought back after the break, and outscoring the Falcons 3-0 in the third period, took a 4-2 lead into the final quarter. Again, the two teams played evenly, but Air Force was unable to come back from its two-goal deficit in the 6-4 loss.

Air Force had plenty of scoring opportunities in the contest, but fell short thanks in part to a strong effort by Aggies' goalkeeper Kevin Peat, who was credited with 12 saves in the game. Junior Alex Churnside (Orange, Calif.), a 2008 honorable mention All-WWPA selection, led the Air Force offense, while Bobby Geiger (So., Buellton, Calif.) and Jack Hines (Jr., Riverside, Calif.) added the final two goals for the Falcons. For the Aggies, Aaron Salit led the way with three goals.

The Falcons continue action at the 2008 WWPA Championship tomorrow, as they face ninth-seed Chapman at 9:45 a.m. (PT). Should Air Force win that contest, it will face either second-seed UC San Diego or seventh-seed Claremont tomorrow at 4:45 p.m. Meanwhile, a loss would send the Falcons directly into the ninth place contest Sunday morning at 9:00.

#3 UC Davis 6, #6 Air Force 4
#6 Air Force 1 1 0 2 4
#3 UC Davis 0 1 3 2 6

AF Scoring: Churnside 2, Geiger, Hines
UCD Scoring: Salit 3, Muenter 2, Eggert