SAN DIEGO – Coming off a thrilling upset win against No. 9 Long Beach State, the 13
th-ranked UC San Diego women's water polo team (15-7, 2-0 BWC) continued their strong play Saturday at the Aztec Invite, taking down Wagner 11-3 before defeating Saint Francis (PA) 11-5.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Against Wagner, the Tritons jumped out to an early lead, scoring three unanswered goals to open the match, two coming from
Kendall Thomas. The Seahawks kept things close, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with a goal to begin the second period. But from that point on UC San Diego, took control, scoring seven consecutive goals across the second and third periods to put the game out of reach.
The Tritons came back for their third match in less than 24 hours against Saint Francis, grinding through the first half before turning up the offense in the second half. After ending the first period tied 2-2, UC San Diego netted four goals in the second period, with two coming from
Maggie Bria.
Coming out of halftime, the Tritons scored three straight goals, including a pair from
Karis Couch, extending the lead to 9-4. Couch finished with a team-high four goals, followed by Bria, two goals,
Madison Solares, two goals, and Thomas, two goals.
QUOTABLE
"The message [before the game] was to keep the intensity and recognize that we're playing very good ball right now," said UC San Diego head coach
Brad Kreutzkamp. "We're happy with the results and we have one more game to go before finals, then we can pick it right back up again."
TRITON TIDBITS
- Six Goal Day – Kendall Thomas unleashed six goals across the first two games of the Aztec Invite, netting four goals in the first game of the day against Wagner before scoring a pair against Saint Francis. The freshman has 32 goals this season, second only to Ciara Franke for the Tritons.
- Goal Streak Ended – Ciara Franke took one shot and scored no goals against Wagner in the first game of the Aztec Invite. Against Long Beach State, Franke extended her consecutive goal streak to 16 with a team-leading three goals. She has 42 goals on the year.
- Record Watch – Bennett Bugelli recorded eight more saves against Wagner, bringing her career total up to 754 career saves. In the win over UCSB at the Kalbus Invitational, Bugelli moved up to third all-time, passing Maryam Hadiashar, 697 saves, and Leona Mason, 701 saves. This season, she has already leapt up from ninth place after making 25 saves at the UCSB Winter Invite. Next on the list is Jefi Paulsen with 852 saves.
| Goalie Saves |
Player Name |
Years Played |
| 1,465 saves |
Courtney Miller |
2013-2016 |
| 852 saves |
Jefi Paulsen |
1987-1990 |
| 754 saves |
Bennett Bugelli |
2017- |
| 701 saves |
Leona Mason |
1993-1996 |
| 697 saves |
Maryam Hadiashar |
1997-2000 |
- History with Every Win – With the wins over Wagner and Saint Francis, head coach Brad Kreutzkamp moved up to 258 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 (15-7, 2-0 BWC) vs. Bucknell (6-9)
Sunday, March 13 at 9 am
Aztec Aquaplex – San Diego
Aztec Invite Information
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.
