TUCSON, Arizona — Player of the Game Noah Feingold (Sr., Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Daniel Tang (Sr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) both scored three times as No. 1-ranked/Sierra Pacific Division Champion the University of California overcame No. 15/New England Division Champion Boston College, 9-6, in the opening round of the 2018 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Arizona.
Trailing 5-4 with 5:29 left in the third quarter, the Golden Bears pulled even at five-all via a man-up volley by Tang with 3:37 on the clock. The teams traded scoring jabs over the remainder of the frame as Colin Derdeyn (Sr., St. Louis, Mo.) pushed the Eagles back in front at 6-5 before Feingold flushed home a man-up chance at 2:08 to deadlock the teams at six-all going into the fourth quarter.
Feingold’s strike changed the momentum of the game as California’s defense stiffened and the trio of Noah Martin (Jr., Carlsbad, Calif.), Tang and Sam Naugle (Jr., Roseville, Calif.) ticked off back-to-back-to-back scores at 5:17, 3:20 and 2:23, respectively, over the final seven minutes of play to secure the win.
The fourth quarter run was unique for the game as the teams were unable to pull away from each other over the span of the first half.
California jumped on the scoreboard first in the opening quarter as junior Jackson Hettler banged a shot into the cage with 2:42 on the clock before Boston College posted the equalizer at 1:18 via a man-up chance from Michael Spence (Jr., San Francisco, Calif.) to square the squads at one-all after seven minutes of competition.
In the second quarter, the teams battled back-and-forth as the Golden Bears pulled ahead 2-1 via a five-meter penalty shot at 6:27 by Feingold, but James McAveeney (So., Chicago, Ill.) erased the deficit at 4:27 with an even-strength score. Tang pushed Cal back in front at 3-2 with a man-up strike at 4:04, but Duncan Rowland (Sr., Manhattan Beach, Calif.) balanced the scoreboard at three-all with 3:49 on the clock. The pattern continued as Feingold (3:09, man-up) and Spence (2:15, man-up) converted on six-on-five chances for their teams to make it four-all at halftime.
After halftime, Boston College inched ahead courtesy a strike from Scott Singer (Sr., San Jose, Calif.) at 6:27 to set-up California’s comeback win.
Naugle, Martin and Hettler each notched single goals to join Feingold and Tang in the scoring column for the Golden Bears to account for all of California’s offense. Carter Chan (Jr., Orinda, Calif.) swatted away 10 shots to earn the win between the pipes.
Spence led the way for Boston College with a pair of goals, while McAveeney, Derdeyn, Singer and Rowland each chipped in solo strikes. Goalie Tyler Dubiel (Jr., Pleasanton, Calif.) suffered the loss with six saves.
The win advances California into a 10:10 a.m. quarterfinal on Saturday, November 10, against the winner of a first-round game pitting No. 7/Great Lakes Division Champion The Ohio State University and Atlantic Division runner-up Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech).
Boston College falls into the consolation side of the bracket and will meet the loser of the Ohio State-vs.-Virginia Tech game at 6:20 p.m. tonight.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| Boston College | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 |
| University of California | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | – | 9 |
| California Goals: | Noah Feingold (3); Daniel Tang (3); Noah Martin; Jackson Hettler; Sam Naugle | |||||
| Boston College Goals: | Michael Spence (2); Duncan Rowland; Scott Singer; Colin Derdeyn; James McAveeney | |||||
| Saves: | California – Carter Chan (10) ; Boston College – Tyler Dubiel (6) | |||||
| Exclusions: | California – 6 ; Boston College – 9 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | California – 5-for-9 ; Boston College – 2-for-6 | |||||
| Sprints: | California – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) ; Boston College – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Don Lewis, John Rightmyer | |||||
Boston College’s Omar John (#13) looks to pass over the University of California’s Sam Naugle (#13)
University of California’s Matt Klein (#10)
Boston College’s Scott Singer (#6)
University of California’s Jackson Hettler (#8)
