LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 10th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team split two games on the final day of the Triton Invitational on Sunday at La Jolla High School. The Tritons began the day with a 17-6 win over Cal Lutheran. Sean Cruz led seven UCSD student-athletes with multiple goals. Cruz scored three times, while Steven Donohoe, Lance Curtiss, Knief Lohse, Sean Roberts and Brian Donohoe added two goals apiece. The Tritons came out on the short end of a hard fought 14-12 loss to Air Force in their second game. UCSD came back from a two goal deficit in the fourth to tie the game with 4:08 remaining, only to see the Falcons score the final two goals of the game.

In the win over Cal Lutheran, Bryce Madsen, Jakub Bednarek, Chris Barton and Peter Gresham scored single goals to go along with UCSD's seven multi-goal scorers.

UCSD raced out to a 4-1 goal after the first quarter and led 8-3 at halftime. Eight different Tritons scored in the first half as UCSD cruised to the 17-6 win.

The second game continued a series of close match-ups with Western Water Polo Association foe Air Force Academy. The Tritons started strong with a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. Gresham scored twice in the quarter while Steven Donohoe and Cruz added scores.

UCSD held the lead even though the Falcons tied it on two occasions at 7-6 at halftime as Madsen poured in the go ahead goal with :40 in the half.

In the third quarter, the Falcons hung around and took the lead at 10-9 with :21 left.

Air Force quickly took a two goal lead with 6:22 remaining in the game. UCSD quickly responded to tie the game with scores by Cruz and Steven Donohoe at 12-12 with 4:08 remaining. AFA scored the go ahead goal at 2:35 and added the clincher with :35 left for the final 14-12 score.

UCSD is back in action next weekend at the Navy Invitational in Annapolis, MD.

UCSD 4-4-4-5=17
Cal Lutheran 1-2-3-0=6

1st
7:12 Cruz (UCSD) 1-0
3:17 Roberts (UCSD) 2-0
2:29 Baldwin (CLU) 2-1
1:19 Bednarek (UCSD) 3-1
:06 Madsen (UCSD) 4-1

2nd
6:43 B. Donohoe (UCSD) 5-1
6:08 Heagy (CLU) 5-2
3:20 Curtiss (UCSD) 6-2
3:01 Gross (CLU) 6-3
1:43 Gresham (UCSD) 7-3
:02 Lohse (UCSD) 8-3

3rd
7:16 Cruz (UCSD) 9-3
6:32 B. Donohoe (UCSD) 10-3
6:07 W. Lewis (CLU) 10-4
5:03 S. Donohoe (UCSD) 11-4
4:12 Meaney (CLU) 11-5
2:00 Cruz (UCSD) 12-5

4th
7:36 S. Donohoe (UCSD) 13-6
6:59 Lohse (UCSD) 14-6
5:53 Roberts (UCSD) 15-6
5:21 Curtiss (UCSD) 16-6
3:47 Barton (UCSD) 17-6

UCSD 4-3-2-3=12
AFA 3-3-4-4=14

1st
6:57 Smithson (AFA) 0-1
6:32 Gresham (UCSD) 1-1
5:03 Gresham (UCSD) 2-1
2:25 Smithson (AFA) 2-2
1:58 S. Donohoe (UCSD) 3-2
1:13 Cruz (UCSD) 4-2
:41 Geiger (AFA) 4-3

2nd
6:52 Gresham (UCSD) 5-3
6:32 Lemmen (AFA) 5-4
3:36 Wallin (AFA) 5-5
2:16 Butler (UCSD) 6-5
1:49 Geiger (AFA) 6-6
:40 Madsen (UCSD) 7-6

3rd
7:15 Cruz (UCSD) 8-6
5:51 Smithson (AFA) 8-7
3:26 Churnside (AFA) 8-8
2:47 Cruz (UCSD) 9-8
2:14 Smithson (AFA) 9-9
:21 Geiger (AFA) 9-10

4th
7:14 Geiger (AFA) 9-11
6:54 Donohoe (UCSD) 10-11
6:22 Geiger (AFA) 10-12
6:01 Cruz (UCSD) 11-12
4:08 Donohoe (UCSD) 12-12
2:35 Lemmen (AFA) 12-13
:35 Smithson (AFA) 12-14