RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The No. 11 University of California San Diego men's water polo team opened up the Western Water Polo Association Championship with a 14-10 over Air Force. The Tritons improve to 19-7 on the season and advance to the Semifinal round tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. to play the winner of Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount.
All-WWPA Second Team selection
Skyler Munatones was the focal point of the offense with a game high four goals to go with two assists.
Calder Hilde-Jones had the only other hat trick on the day.
The man-down defense came up huge against Air Force. The Tritons held the Falcons to 4-of-14 on power plays.
Jack Turner blocked a penalty shot late in the fourth period that squashed the Falcon's chances of making a comeback.
The Falcon's offense got things going early and scored to quick goals to go up in the first two minutes. The Tritons settled down and went on a 4-0 run to retake the lead and never look back.
The defense had its best showing in the final quarter and held the Falcons scoreless. The Tritons were able to accomplish this with some of their top fouling out in the fourth quarter. Turner was well tested in the final frame but saved everything that came his way. The goalkeeper finished the game with nine saves including four in the final four minutes.
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 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 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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For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDtritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@ucsdtritons), Instagram (@ucsdtritons) and Facebook (ucsdtritons). In addition, you can follow UC San Diego men's water polo on Twitter (@ucsdmwp), Instagram (@ucsdmwp) and Facebook (ucsdtritonsmwp).
