LA JOLLA, Calif. — The No. 8 University of California San Diego men's water polo team dropped a close game to No. 14 California Baptist, 10-9, on Friday evening at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
With time winding down and the game tied, 9-9, the contest appeared to be destined for overtime. But junior Cooper Milton was called for a 5-meter penalty with just six seconds showing on the clock, setting up California Baptist with a penalty shot.
Junior Dominick Nevarez threw it just under the outstretched left arm of Triton goalkeeper Jack Turner into the bottom-ride side of the net, as the Lancers escaped with their first-ever win against UC San Diego (10-3, 3-1 WWPA).
Sophomore Connor Turnbow-Lindenstadt led the Tritons with three goals, two assists and three steals, while redshirt sophomore Jack Ranj had two goals with an assist and redshirt junior Kacper Langiewicz scored two goals.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Jack Turner finished with nine saves and three steals, as senior Alessandro Valania and junior Noah Carniglia recorded two assists apiece.
Nevarez scored a team-best three goals with two assists for California Baptist (11-8, 1-1).
Three-consecutive UC San Diego goals to close the first quarter put the Tritons ahead 4-2 at the end of the opening period. The Lancers responded with four goals of their own in the second to knot the score at halftime, 6-6.
A Langiewicz goal off an assist from Carniglia tied the game at 8-8 with 4:26 remaining, and Turnbow-Lindenstadt's unassisted goal with 1:38 left to play made it 9-9.
UC San Diego returns to action next weekend, as it competes in the MPSF Invitational hosted by Stanford. The Tritons open the tournament with a rematch against Pepperdine on Friday, Oct. 12, beginning at 2:50 p.m.
About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 80 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 36 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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