SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The Harvard University women's water polo team opened its spring break trip to California with a loss to No. 16 UC Santa Barbara as the Crimson erased a three-goal deficit, but eventually fell, 10-9, to the host Gauchos.

UCSB (12-10) started the match strong, scoring the first three goals and not allowing Harvard (8-6) to get on the board during the first quarter.

The Crimson quickly answered with three goals of its own to tie up the score in the second frame. UC Santa Barbara regained the lead, 4-3, but Harvard once again evened the score, 4-4, just before halftime.

The Gauchos had its second three-goal run to start the second half and pulled ahead, 7-4. Harvard scored two of the game's next three goals, but entered the final eight minutes down, 8-6. The Crimson scored the first goal of the final eight minutes to cut UCSB's lead to one, but the Gauchos immediately found the back of the cage to make the score 9-7. Harvard tallied two more scores in the period, but UC Santa Barbara netted one to claim a 10-9 decision.

Harvard was led in scoring by Aisha Price's hat trick, her ninth of the season. Devan Kennifer and Monica Zdrojewski each added two goals.

Release courtesy Harvard Athletic Communications