LA JOLLA, Calif. — It's life on the road this week for the 14th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team as the Tritons head out of town for four matches over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

UC San Diego carries a 6-9 overall record with a perfect 3-0 mark in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA).

The action begins Thursday night with a WWPA game at No. 16 California Baptist. The Tritons will be looking to stay undefeated in league action and the Lancers come in at 12-7 overall and 2-1 in the WWPA.

The next three games will be non-conference affairs for UC San Diego.

Both of Friday's contests will be part of The Joust tournament, hosted by California Baptist. The two matches will be played at the Splash! Aquatics Center in La Mirada.

In the first tilt, UC San Diego takes on Westcliff, an NAIA program out of Irvine, Calif. It will be just the second-ever clash between the Tritons and Warriors. The first came in September of 2021 during the Triton Invitational with UC San Diego winning, 22-6. Westcliff currently holds a winning record at 13-11. 

Friday's second match will be the inaugural meeting between UC San Diego and Austin College, an NCAA Division III squad from Sherman, Texas. Playing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) East Division, the Kangaroos were picked to win the league this year in the preseason coaches poll. The 'Roos are 4-5 overall.

Saturday, the Tritons roll up to Los Angeles to face UCLA, the third-ranked team in the country. The Bruins have accumulated a 15-1 record thus far. Their lone loss was by a single goal, 8-7, at then-No. 3 Stanford on Sept. 25.

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THIS WEEK'S ACTION
*** Game 16 - WWPA ***
No. 14 UC San Diego (6-9, 3-0) at No. 16 California Baptist (12-7, 2-1)
Thursday, October 6 | 6:00 p.m.
Lancer Aquatics Center | Riverside, Calif. (map)
Live Stats | Live Video
Twitter | Instagram
All-Time Series: UC San Diego leads 14-2

*** Game 17 - Non-Conference ***
No. 14 UC San Diego (6-9) vs. Westcliff (13-11)
Friday, October 7 | 9:00 a.m.
Splash! Aquatics Center | La Mirada, Calif. (map)
Live Stats | Live Video
Twitter | Instagram
All-Time Series: UC San Diego leads 1-0

*** Game 18 - Non-Conference ***
No. 14 UC San Diego (6-9) vs. Austin College (4-5)
Friday, October 7 | 11:45 a.m.
Splash! Aquatics Center | La Mirada, Calif. (map)
Live Stats | Live Video
Twitter | Instagram
All-Time Series: Have never met

*** Game 19 - Non-Conference ***
No. 14 UC San Diego (6-9) at No. 3 UCLA (15-1)
Saturday, October 8 | 1:00 p.m.
Spieker Aquatics Center | Los Angeles, Calif. (map)
Live Stats
Twitter | Instagram
All-Time Series: UCLA leads 59-1

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ABOUT THE UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS
Roster | Schedule & Results | Statistics
• Overall: 6-9
• WWPA: 3-0
• Home: 2-5
• Away: 2-2
• Neutral: 2-2
• Streak: W2
• vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams: 2-9
• CWPA national ranking: 14
• WWPA Preseason Poll: 2nd of 9

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ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS
Roster | Schedule & Results | Statistics
• Overall: 12-7
• WWPA: 2-1
• Home: 3-0
• Away: 1-2
• Neutral: 8-5
• Streak: W3
• vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams: 1-7
• CWPA national ranking: 16
• WWPA Preseason Poll: 3rd of 9

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ABOUT THE WESTCLIFF WARRIORS
Roster | Schedule & Results
• Overall: 13-11
• Home: 3-0
• Away: 10-11
• Neutral: 0-0
• Streak: L2

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ABOUT THE AUSTIN KANGAROOS
Roster | Schedule & Results
• Overall: 4-5
• MPSF East: 0-0
• Home: 3-1
• Away: 0-2
• Neutral: 1-2
• Streak: W1
• vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams: 0-2
• MPSF East Preseason Poll: 1st of 4

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ABOUT THE UCLA BRUINS
Roster | Schedule & Results | Statistics
• Overall: 15-1
• MPSF West: 0-0
• Home: 3-0
• Away: 2-1
• Neutral: 10-0
• Streak: W2
• vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams: 12-1
• MPSF West Preseason Poll: 2nd of 4

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LATKOVIC THE LEADER
Senior Vedran Latkovic currently leads the Tritons in points with 55 and goals with 44. The Montenegran has scored a goal in 13 of 15 matches. Latkovic is currently riding an eight-game scoring streak with multiple goals in seven of those. His six goals against UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 4 equaled his single-game career-high (9/26/21 at San Jose State). 

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BUGELLI NAMED THE WWPA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Rhys Bugelli was named the WWPA Player of the Week for the first time in his career on Sept. 28. He totaled 11 points with nine goals and a pair of assists over four matches at the MPSF Invitational, helping the Tritons go 2-2 against a stacked field at Stanford. Bugelli had multiple goals in three of four matches, including three vs. No. 9 San Jose State and three against No. 11 Pepperdine. He also scored twice vs. No. 10 Loyola Marymount and had a single goal against No. 4 Pacific. In addition, he collected five drawn exclusions during the tournament. Earlier in the week in a home contest against Loyola Marymount, Bugelli registered four drawn exclusions and netted a goal.

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KADEN WILL HELP
With 21 assists, Kaden Likins owns the team lead in helpers. On Sept. 21 against Loyola Marymount, he dished out four assists to establish a new single-game career-high.

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A QUICK GLANCE AT THE 2021 TRITONS
In 2021, UC San Diego posted a 14-10 overall record and went 6-2 in WWPA play. Ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation, the Tritons earned seven victories over other ranked teams including No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 9 UC Davis, No. 13 UC Irvine, No. 17 Loyola Marymount (twice), No. 18 California Baptist, and No. 20 Santa Clara. The team won its first match at the WWPA Championships, defeating Concordia 21-7, before falling to California Baptist and Loyola Marymount to end its season.

The Tritons return several key players in 2022 including senior Vedran Latkovic, who led the team in point production with 69 on 53 goals and 16 assists. He netted at least one goal in 21 of 24 games played with one of his biggest coming with 12 seconds left on the clock to lift the Tritons to a 14-13 win against Loyola Marymount at home. Also back in the pool will be junior Kaden Likins, who tied for second on the team with his 59 points. Likins scored 33 goals while dishing out 26 assists, which tied for the most helpers on the team. Senior Manuel Augusto (31 goals, 55 points) and sophomore Miles Wilson (29 goals, 55 points) return, as does junior goalkeeper Alexander Nemeth, who posted a 13-8 record and led UC San Diego defensively with 22 steals.

Latkovic and Nemeth were selected to the All-WWPA Second Team while Likins was an All-WWPA Honorable Mention. Wilson was named to the WWPA All-Freshman Team.

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THEY CALL HIM USHA
UC San Diego is led by first-year head coach Matt "Usha" Ustaszewski, who took over for Denny Harper as he announced his retirement in July after 42 years at the helm.

Ustaszewski earned his first victory as UC San Diego's head coach on Sept. 3, 2022, as the Tritons defeated La Verne, 22-8, in the team's season opener during the Triton Invitational. 

In 2021, Ustaszewski completed his ninth season as associate head coach and 12th season overall on the UC San Diego men's water polo staff.

Usha is no stranger to the La Jolla campus. He was a co-captain of the fifth-ranked Triton water polo team as a senior in 2003 for under the tutelage of Harper. He graduated in 2004, completing his bachelor's degree in history (Europe emphasis) with a 3.5 grade-point average.

He also has extensive experience with Team USA. As an assistant coach in the summer of 2022, he helped the Men's National Team finish sixth at the FINA World Championships in Hungary. Team USA went 2-2 overall, which included a 16-15 penalty shootout victory against Hungary.Also during the summer of 2022, Ustaszewski was with Team USA when it won a silver medal at the FINA World League Super Final in France.

Ustaszewski served as the video coach for Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

For Usha's complete bio, click here.

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MOMDZHYAN BACK ON THE DECK
Former UC San Diego men's water polo standout Arman Momdzhyan has returned to the program this season as an assistant coach. 

Momdzhyan played for UC San Diego for two seasons after transferring from Los Angeles Valley College. He was named the Association of Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) NCAA Division II Player of the Year in both 2016 and 2017. Momdzhyan also earned ACWPC All-America Division II First Team as well as All-Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) First Team accolades in each of his seasons with the Tritons. Over 43 career games, he scored 98 goals and added 16 assists for 114 points. His 44 goals in 2016 led the team and his 54 goals in 2017 were second on the Triton roster. Momdzhyan led UC San Diego to back-to-back WWPA titles and a No. 9 national ranking. The Glendale, Calif., native graduated from UC San Diego in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in human developmental sciences. He earned a master's in Kinesiology from Fresno Pacific.

For Momdzyhan's complete bio, click here.

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FINAL HURRAH IN THE WWPA
This will be UC San Diego's final season as a member of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The Tritons will join The Big West when the conference begins sponsoring the sport in 2023. The team has enjoyed great success in the WWPA, winning 19 conference titles.

Expected to join the Tritons next season in The Big West are Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara. In addition, Cal State Fullerton announced that it will be adding men's and women's water polo in 2023. The Titans will give the league six teams, the minimum required to create a conference that can qualify for an automatic berth into the NCAA Championship.

The addition of men's water polo will give UC San Diego 17 teams competing in The Big West - baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and men's and women's volleyball, and men's and women's water polo. The UC San Diego women's water polo team has been in The Big West since 2020.

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2022 WWPA PRESEASON COACHES POLL
Rank	Team	Points	1st-Place Votes	2021 Records
1	UC Davis	64	8	19-9/7-1
2	UC San Diego	53	1	14-10/6-2
3	California Baptist	49	-	20-14/6-2
4	Loyola Marymount	48	-	12-14/6-2
5	Santa Clara	33	-	13-16/2-6
6	Air Force	32	-	17-9/5-3
7	Concordia	21	-	9-17/2-6
8	Fresno Pacific	14	-	7-22/2-6
9	Biola	10	-	3-22/0-8

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CWPA NATIONAL POLL (Oct. 5)
Rank	Team	Previous Poll
1	Stanford	1
2	Cal	2 (tie)
3	UCLA	2 (tie)
4	Pacific	4
5	USC	5
6	Long Beach State	6
7	UC Davis	7
8	UC Santa Barbara	8
9	UC Irvine	9
10	Loyola Marymount	10
11 *(tie)	Pepperdine	12
11 (tie)	Princeton	15
13	Harvard	11
14	UC San Diego	13
15	San Jose State	14
16	California Baptist	16
17	Santa Clara	17 (tie)
18	Fordham	17 (tie)
19	George Washington	19 (tie)
20	St. Francis Brooklyn	19 (tie)

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GAME DAY GOES WITH YOU
Triton fans now have a whole new way to access game day information, as game programs have gone digital! Fans can visit Game Day from their smart phone or scan the QR code at the entrance to Canyonview Aquatic Center for everything they need to know about each home game, including updated rosters, schedules, and stats for each team, as well as links to watch games live.

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WHY THE TRITONS?
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.

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UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS LAUNCHES WEEKLY PODCAST
As part of UC San Diego's transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast, Tritoncast. Produced by UC San Diego Athletics Communications, Tritoncast features in-depth interviews with UC San Diego personalities including scholar-athletes, alums, coaches, and administrators. Triton fans will get an inside look at the UC San Diego Athletics Department during its transition to NCAA Division I. New episodes of Tritoncast are available each week on the most popular podcasting apps. In addition, each episode can be heard and downloaded on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on Twitter @Tritoncast. 

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GET SOCIAL WITH MEN'S WATER POLO
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through Twitter and Instagram. The team's handle is @ucsdmwp.

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FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!

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GEAR HERE
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, click here.

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UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays its next two matches at home, hosting Santa Clara on Oct. 14 and Air Force on Oct. 21. Both WWPA games start at 6 p.m. at Canyonview Aquatic Center. For the Santa Clara game, you can BUY TICKETS HERE. The Air Force game will be free of charge during Homecoming Week.
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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 II and III 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.