SAN DIEGO – For the sixth consecutive time in the Harper Cup, the No. 12 UC San Diego women's water polo team (19-10, 3-3 BWC) took home a win, capping off the regular season against 20th-ranked San Diego State (12-15) with a 13-8 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons found themselves down a goal early after Karli Canale scored for the Aztecs, the first of four goals she netted in the match. UC San Diego then notched four consecutive goals, with two coming from
Lucia Doak, taking a 4-1 lead with 4:36 remaining in the second period. After trading goals with San Diego State to end the half, the Tritons took a 6-3 lead into the second half.
The third period saw a combined seven goals between the two teams, with the Tritons scoring the first two goals of the period to extend their lead to 8-3. In the fourth period,
Ciara Franke,
Courtney Okumura, and
Karis Couch found the back of the net to help solidify the win for UC San Diego.
QUOTABLE
"A win always makes things feel great and this kind of win is even better," said UC San Diego women's water polo head coach
Brad Kreutzkamp. "San Diego State is a fantastic team and we will never take them lightly."
TRITON TIDBITS
- HARPER CUP HISTORY – The Tritons have won each of the last six Harper Cup contests. This year, Ciara Franke was named Harper Cup MVP, with four goals and three steals to her name. Bennett Bugelli was 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.
- FINE WORK FOR THE FRESHMAN – Freshmen Lucia Doak and Courtney Okumura each contributed a pair of goals to finish off their first collegiate regular season. On the year, three of the Tritons' top six goal scorers were freshmen. Kendall Thomas led the first years with 38 goals, followed by Doak with 37 and Okumura with 22.
- RECORD WATCH – Ciara Franke netted four goals on her way to being named Harper Cup MVP, giving her 204 for her career. She is now seventh in UC San Diego history. 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. This season, Franke has netted 51 goals, despite missing six matches.
| 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 |
| 204 goals |
Ciara Franke |
2018 - Present |
| 203 goals |
Kristen Bates |
2009-2012 |
| 202 goals |
Lauren Boyer |
2014-2017 |
| 201 goals |
Sydney Gstettenbauer |
2006-2009 |
Bennett Bugelli recorded 12 more saves against San Diego State, bringing her career total up to 806 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 |
| 806 saves |
Bennett Bugelli |
2017- |
| 701 saves |
Leona Mason |
1993-1996 |
| 697 saves |
Maryam Hadiashar |
1997-2000 |
UP NEXT
Big West Conference Tournament
April 21 – April 23
Opponents and Times TBD
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.
