STOCKTON, Calif.  ? The 9th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team split its two games on the first day of the NorCal Tournament in Stockton.  After a 10-7 loss to Long Beach State, the Tritons rebounded to defeat Cal Baptist 14-8, giving head coach Denny Harper career victory No. 500.  Against the Lancers, seven different Tritons scored, led by Adnan Jerkovic with five goals and Jeff Hunt with four scores.  Against the 49ers, the Tritons were outscored in three of the four periods.  A.J. Kotanjian led the Tritons against LBSU with two scores.  The Tritons are now 9-2 on the season.

In the 14-8 win over the Lancers, the Tritons scored eight, first half goals to take an 8-5 advantage.  After the teams each scored three times in the third, UCSD put the game out of reach in the fourth, scoring three, unanswered goals.  After Jerkovic and Hunt combined for nine goals, Kotanjian, Sidd Menon, Steven Donohoe, Daniel Garcia and Peter Gresham added goals.

To open the tournament, the Tritons faced Long Beach State, the only team to hand the Tritons a loss in 2008.  LBSU outscored the Tritons 2-1 in the first period onad 3-2 in the second to lead 5-3 at the break.  The 49ers opened up an 8-4 lead through three periods.  The Tritons finally won a period, outscoring LBSU 3-2 in the final quarter, but it was not enough as the Tritons lost 10-7.  In addition to A.J. Kotanjian's two goals, Chance Vermilyea, Jeff Hunt, Kyle Lohse, Steven Donohoe and Peter Gresham also scored.

UCSD is back in action tomorrow with two more games at the NorCal Tournament in Stockton.