LA JOLLA, Calif. – The 12^th-ranked UC San Diego women's water polo team (18-9, 3-2 BWC) will return to SoCal this weekend for a pair of matches against top-25 opponents, first taking on No. 5 UC Irvine (18-6, 4-1 BWC) this Friday, April 15, before playing in the 20^th annual Harper Cup at San Diego State against the 20^th-ranked Aztecs (11-14). These will be the final two matches of the regular season for the Tritons before they head to Honolulu, Hawai'i for the Big West Tournament on April 21.
 
DETAILS
UC San Diego (18-9, 3-2 BWC) vs. UC Irvine (18-6, 4-1 BWC)
Friday, April 15 at 6:00 pm PST
Anteater Aquatics Center – Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Watch
 
20^th Annual Harper Cup
UC San Diego (18-9, 3-2 BWC) vs. San Diego State (11-14)
Saturday, April 16 at 4:00 pm PST
Aztec Aquaplex – San Diego, Calif.
Live Stats
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE
UC San Diego currently sits in third place in the Big West with a 3-2 record, trailing Hawai'i (6-0 BWC) and UC Irvine (4-1 BWC), while UC Davis (2-3 BWC) and Long Beach State (2-3 BWC) are tied for fourth. The Aggies will be taking on UC Santa Barbara (1-4 BWC) this weekend, while Long Beach State takes on CSUN (0-5 BWC). With a win, the Tritons would secure third place in the Big West, while losses provide UC Davis and Long Beach State to tie, though only UC Davis has an advantage in the season series with UC San Diego.
 
HARPER CUP
Named for Denny Harper who coached the last 42 seasons as the head men's water polo coach at UC San Diego and was the head coach of the UC San Diego women's water polo team from 1983 through 1999, collecting 245 wins and earning five national titles, this is the 20^th playing of the Harper Cup. Prior to coaching at UC San Diego, Harper graduated from San Diego State and founded the university's women's water polo club team. Harper is retiring this summer.
 
The Tritons have won each of the last five Harper Cup contests, with the most recent coming last season in a 10-7 win at Canyonview Aquatics Center. Bennett Bugelli has been named the Harper Cup MVP in each of the last two meetings (2019 and 2021), making 13 saves and scoring a goal in the 2021 match.
 
RECORD WATCH
Ciara Franke notched another goal against UC Santa Barbara last week, giving her 200 for her career. She cemented herself as the 10th all-time goal scorer in UC San Diego history against Loyola Marymount, scoring four goals, including three penalty shots, in the win. With 200 career goals, Franke is one goal behind Sydney Gstettenbauer (201) and two goals behind Lauren Boyer (202). Franke has netted 47 goals, despite missing six matches over the course of the season.
 

Goals	Player Name	Years Played
321 goals	Sarah Lizotte	2011-2014
297 goals	Alexis Wieseler	2013-2017
245 goals	Julie Swail	1992-1995
218 goals	Jamie Dailey	1989-1992
210 goals	Emma Kudrutzki	1999-2002
205 goals	Julia Kirkland	2013-2016
203 goals	Kristen Bates	2009-2012
202 goals	Lauren Boyer	2014-2017
201 goals	Sydney Gstettenbauer	2006-2009
200 goals	Ciara Franke	2018 - Present

 
Bennett Bugelli recorded 15 more saves against UCSB, bringing her career total up to 787 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
787 saves	Bennett Bugelli	2017-
701 saves	Leona Mason	1993-1996
697 saves	Maryam Hadiashar	1997-2000

 
HISTORY WITH EVERY WIN
With the win over UC Santa Barbara last week, head coach Brad Kreutzkamp moved up to 261 career wins, after already having surpassed his former head coach and mentor Denny Harper earlier this season for the program record.

UC SAN DIEGO AND COVID-19
UC San Diego's nationally renowned Return to Learn program was created to return to in-person teaching, learning, conducting pioneering research and serving our communities in the safest way possible. The program has three adaptive pillars that are central to our strategy to resume on-campus activity: risk mitigation, viral detection, and intervention.

For the latest information on UC San Diego and COVID-19, please visit the University's Return to Learn site.

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

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!

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