LA JOLLA, Calif. – Hosting its annual Triton Invitational at Canyonview Aquatic Center, the 18th-ranked UC San Diego women's water polo team dropped a pair of games against top-10 opponents Saturday, falling by a score of 15-3 to No. 3 UCLA before coming up short, 10-8, against No. 8 Fresno State in the afternoon.

The Tritons, who defeated No. 12 UC Davis on Friday, the opening day of the tourney, fell to 4-7 overall. UCLA stayed unbeaten at 8-0 and Fresno State moved to 4-6 with its victory.

UC San Diego will play in the seventh-place game against No. 13 Indiana on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

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HOW IT HAPPENED - FRESNO STATE
Both teams scored three goals in the opening period of play. Lucia Doak led things off, finding the back of the net at the 6:21 mark. The Bulldogs evened things up 20 seconds later, but the Tritons got back-to-back goals from Courtney Okumura and Annika Arroyo to take a 3-1 lead. Fresno State returned the favor with two-straight scores of its own to draw even, the second coming on a power play with just over a minute remaining in the quarter.

Fresno State out-scored UC San Diego, 3-2, in the second period. Another power play goal put the Bulldogs up 4-3 before Doak struck for her second goal of the game at the 5:43 mark to tie it again. Fresno State tallied another power play goal at 5:17 to reclaim the lead, but 21 seconds later Caroline Christl netted a goal to make it 5-5. At the 2:02 mark, Isabella Sonkoly score for the Bulldogs, allowing them to take a 6-5 advantage heading into halftime.

Fresno State took a two-goal lead two minutes into the third quarter by capitalizing on another power play. Two minutes later, Christl scored her second goal of the contest to bring the Tritons back within one at 7-6. With just under three minutes left, UC San Diego goalkeeper Lexi Stahl made a huge save on a five-meter penalty shot. The teams traded goals before the end of the period. After Fresno State scored at 1:29, Okumura tallied her second of the game exactly a minute later to make the score 8-7 Bulldogs moving into the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs opened up the scoring in the fourth to go up by two again. At 4:27, Christl completed a hat trick with a power play strike, getting UC San Diego within one again, this time at 9-8. However, Fresno's Hailey Andress scored with 56 seconds remaining to ice the victory for the Bulldogs.

Overall, the Bulldogs converted on five of nine power play opportunities, while the Tritons scored once over four extra-player situations.

UC San Diego held a 35-23 advantage in shots, but Fresno State goalie Paula Nieto Jasny finished with 14 saves.

Stahl made six saves and added three steals in the loss.

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HOW IT HAPPENED - UCLA
UCLA scored at least three goals in every quarter while holding UC San Diego to a single goal in each of the first three periods. The Bruins had their most productive segment in the third, finding the net five times.

The Tritons kept pace shot-wise, finishing with 22 to the Bruins' 26.

UCLA was much more effective than UC San Diego on the power play, scoring five goals in six opportunities. The Tritons were 1-for-5.

UC San Diego got goals from Doak, Kendall Thomas, and Sydney Munatones.

For UCLA, Anna Pearson tallied five goals while Val Ayala and Emma Lineback each registered a hat trick.

Stahl made eight stops in net.

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TRITON TIDBITS
• Caroline Christl's hat trick was the second of the season for the freshman.
• This is the first time that the Triton Invitational consists of three days of competition instead of the usual two.
• Of the 14 teams in the tourney field, 13 are ranked among the top-25 in the country.
• UCLA will take on second-ranked USC in the title game on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
• Friday's win against UC Davis was UC San Diego's home opener.

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UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays in the seventh-place game against No. 13 Indiana on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. The Tritons and Hoosiers met back on Jan. 21 at UC Santa Barbara's Winter Invite, with Indiana taking a 12-10 win.

Tickets for all home games can be purchased through the Triton Box Office. UC San Diego students are admitted free with a valid ID.

For updated tournament information, game schedule, and more, visit the Triton Invitational Tournament Central page.

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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 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 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Divisions I and II.