The #12 UCSB women’s water polo team played a doubleheader Friday in its first home action of the season, losing  11-10 to #8 Michigan in the first game before rallying to beat Concordia 10-7 in the afternoon.

Against the Wolverines, the Gauchos took a one-goal lead in the first quarter and remained deadlocked with the Wolverines until the fourth quarter, in which Michigan tied the score at eight to send the game into overtime. In the first overtime period, Michigan managed to take a one-goal lead, but in the second UCSB scored twice to move ahead once more. As the seconds ticked away, it looked as if UCSB was going to pull off the upset, but with one second left Michigan’s Lauren Colton put the ball into the net to send the game into sudden victory play. Soon after, a goal from Lauren Orth gave the Wolverines the win.

“Both teams made some great shots,” Head Coach Wolf Wigo said. “We went up by a goal and with four second left they had a corner throw that resulted in a lucky goal.”

By the end of the first quarter against Concordia, UCSB already had a commanding 4-1 lead. With 6:23 left in the third quarter, the Gauchos were up 9-2, but Concordia went on a 5-1 run late in the third quarter. Still, UCSB escaped with a 10-7 win in which nine Gauchos scored at least one goal.

“It helped at lot to spread the ball around,” Wigo said. “That was a good victory and it bodes well for tomorrow.”

Tomorrow the UCSB Winter Invite begins, during which UCSB will play four games over the course of Saturday and Sunday. The team’s first game will begin at 1:15 pm against CSU Bakersfield.