LA JOLLA, Calif. — With just 20 seconds left in regulation Jonny Rimlinger scored to lift Loyola Marymount to an 11-10 win over UC San Diego Wednesday night in the teams' annual Battle of the Kings game at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
With the loss in the back-and-forth game, UC San Diego is now 8-7 on the season. LMU improved to to 6-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED
With the score even at 7-7 heading into the fourth quarter, the squads matched one another goal-for-goal with three apiece. Tommaso Baldineti led off the final frame with a goal at 6:40 that put the Lions ahead 8-7. Triton
Kaden Likins answered 27 seconds later. At 5:59, Baldineti struck again, this time on a five-meter penalty shot. Once again, Likins tied the game up as his power play goal at 5:34 made it 9-9. At 4:30, Abel Romero Corbalan put LMU back in front, but the Tritons answered yet again when
Brendon Fezzey deposited the ball in the net to make the score 10-10 with 37 seconds left in regulation. Following a 30-second timeout by LMU, Rimlinger was able to net the game-winner.
Miles Wilson was able to get off a final shot for UC San Diego, but it was saved by Stelios Dalmaras, his 12th and final stop of the game.
UC San Diego won the first half, scoring four goals to Loyola Marymount's three. The Lions were scoreless in the second quarter. However, LMU won the second half 8-6.
The score was tied at 1-1, 3-3, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10.
Center
Bennett Axline had four points for UC San Diego, scoring three goals and adding an assist. Likins also recorded a hat trick.
Miles Wilson and
Rhys Bugelli each finished with three assists.
Logan Estes had eight saves on the night.
For LMU, Baldeneti had five goals and Romero Corbalan had three plus two assists.
UC San Diego held a 33-38 advantage in shots.The Tritons were four-for-12 (.333) on the power play, while the Lions were one-for-nine (.111).
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HIGHLIGHT REEL
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INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH MATT USTASZEWSKI
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TRITON TIDBITS
• Battle of the Kings = King Triton vs. the Lions, the King of the Jungle
• The last four Battle of the Kings games have been decided by one goal: 2023 LMU 11-10; 2022 LMU 10-9; 2021 UC San Diego 14-13; 2019 LMU 17-16.
• Tonight's attendance at Canyonview Aquatic Center was 1,492.
• Eleven players made their career debuts for the Tritons on Saturday, Sept. 2, during the Triton Invitational including Akerstrom,
Jaime Bhattacharyya,
Finn Bugelli,
Emiliano Castro, Ferreira,
Eamon Hennessey,
Reef Lippa,
Augi Macchi,
Mason Presley,
Nolan Roberts, and
Lucas Romaguera.
• The Big West is sponsoring men's water polo for the first time in 32 years. Its last period with the sport was 1984-91.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays at Concordia on Sept. 29 before competing in the Big West/West Coast Conference Invite Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. The tournament is hosted by UC Irvine.
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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 84 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
