LA JOLLA - Brendan Nugent recorded a hat trick and Alexander Nemeth made 13 saves to lead the 13th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team to a 10-9 victory against conference opponent Santa Clara Friday night at Canyonview Aquatic Center.

The win moves the Tritons to an even 10-10 overall and they remain unbeaten in Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) action. The Broncos dropped to 6-8 and 1-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
UC San Diego never trailed in the game. Freshman Bennett Axline scored the game's first goal just 15 seconds into the opening quarter. Santa Clara tied it up at 1-1 but the Tritons went on to tally the game's next four goals to take a 5-1 advantage into halftime. During that run, Nugent scored twice, Axline netted his second, and Kaden Likins contributed a goal.

To open the third quarter, the Broncos scored three unanswered goals, two coming during power play opportunities, to get back within one at 5-4. However, UC San Diego responded by adding two more goals before the end of the quarter, one coming from Rhys Bugelli, the other from Manuel Augusto.

With UC San Diego holding a 7-4 lead going into the fourth stanza, the teams traded goals until it was 10-7 in favor of the home team. With just over a minute remaining, Dominick Kirk found the net on the power play to get the Broncos within two at 10-8. With 13 seconds left, Santa Clara put an extra attacker in the pool to replace goalie Chase Zamborelli. Ford Eldredge was able to score with four ticks on the clock to make 10-9 Tritons, but it was too little, too late for the Broncos as time expired on the ensuing UC San Diego possession.

Nugent (three goals, one assist) and Bugelli (one goal, three assists) both finished with four points. Augusto logged two goals and an assist.

Nemeth was stellar in net as several of his saves were made at point-blank range.

For the Broncos, Zach Fales collected four points on a goal and a trifecta of assists. Eldredge and Cody Ferguson both scored twice. Zamborelli made five saves on the night.

The Tritons out-shot the Broncos 34-26. UC San Diego was 4-for-12 and Santa Clara was 0-for-4 in power play opportunities.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH MATT USTASZEWSKI


TRITON TIDBITS
• It was Pink Night at the Pool in support of breast cancer awareness.
• It was Brendan Nugent's second hat trick in his last four games.
• It was the seventh time Alexander Nemeth has made 10 or more saves this season.
• Rhys Bugelli kept his scoring streak alive to remain the lone Triton that has scored in all 20 of the team's games.
• UC San Diego moved to 47-2 all-time against Santa Clara.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts WWPA opponent Air Force on Friday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. It's Homecoming Weekend on campus and all fans are welcome to attend the game free of charge.

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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.