REDLANDS, Calif. – Back on the road after four games at Canyonview Aquatics Center last weekend, the No. 12 UC San Diego women's water polo team defeated Whittier College 12-5 before taking down Claremont-Mudd Scripps 17-8 to finish the Bulldog Invite with a 2-0 record.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Against Whittier, the Tritons came out swinging, going up 6-0 after the first two periods with two goals from Chloe Pena. Whittier scored their first goals of the game in the third period, but UC San Diego maintained a comfortable lead throughout, notching another six goals in the second half to take the win. Lauren Bellavia led the way with three goals in the match.
 
The Tritons got out to an early lead once again in their second match of the day, jumping out to a 6-1 lead at the end of the first period with a goal from Grayson Mix, two goals from Lucia Doak, and three goals from Kendall Thomas. Lauren Bellavia began the second period with two more goals for UC San Diego, helping extend what would eventually be a 12-1 first half lead. Thomas and Doak continued to progress for the Tritons this weekend with six and three goals, respectively.  
 
QUOTABLE
"Both Lucia [Doak] and Kendall [Thomas] are learning a ton every single game," said UC San Diego head coach Brad Kreutzkamp. "However, as freshman, they still have a ton more to learn. They both have the physical talent to be stand out Division I water polo players, and they've shown flashes of that this season, I just can't wait until they put it all together and become the stars that we think they will be."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• First Career Goals – Freshmen Tania Frank and Abby Moll collected their first career goals this weekend. Frank finished with two goals against Whittier, scoring both in the final five minutes of the match, while Moll notched the first goal of her career against Claremont-Mudd Scripps, giving the Tritons a 10-1 lead with 2:26 remaining in the second period.
• Balanced Scoring Once Again – Seven different Tritons scored two or more goals across the two games this weekend, including Lauren Bellavia, who scored three times against Whittier and twice against Claremont-Mudd Scripps.
• History with Every Win – With the wins over Whittier and Claremont-Mudd Scripps, head coach Brad Kreutzkamp moved up to 252 career wins, after already having surpassed his former head coach and mentor Denny Harper earlier this season for the program record.

UP NEXT
 
UC San Diego (8-4, 0-0 BWC) vs UC Irvine (9-3, 0-0 BWC)
Friday, Feb 25 at 3:00 pm (Non-conference)
Barbara Kalbus Invitational – UC Irvine Anteater Aquatics Center
Tournament Page 
 
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 has begun a new era 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 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered 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. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.