LOS ANGELES — A five-goal second quarter was key as the UC San Diego men's water polo team defeated non-conference opponent Loyola Marymount 10-3 Saturday on the road.

The Tritons upped their overall record to 11-9 while the Lions dropped to 9-8.

The two squads met earlier this season in La Jolla for the annual Battle of the Kings game. The Tritons won 12-9.

UC San Diego is ranked 15th nationally and LMU is No. 16.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
LMU scored the opening quarter's lone goal when Caden Poulleau found the net with 1:11 left in the period.

UC San Diego answered with five goals in the second and they stayed ahead the rest of the way. Rhys Bugelli got things going at 3:52 to get the Tritons on the board. Four-straight scores for the Tritons followed. Lucas Romaguera made good on a five-meter penalty shot and Landon Akerstrom, Felipe Ferreira, and Bugelli were just behind. Bugelli's second of the game came with just nine seconds left in the second quarter.

The second half was all Tritons as they out-scored the Lions 5-2. Brendon Fezzey had a power play goal 51 seconds into the third, giving UC San Diego its sixth consecutive score.

The Lions had one goal in the third and another in the fourth quarter.

Leading 8-3, UC San Diego closed out the game with back-to-back goals, Bennett Axline at 3:04 of the fourth and freshman Grant Kurtz at 2:24.

Akerstrom, Axline, and Rhys Bugelli had two goals apiece. Akerstrom and Bugelli each had assists, giving them three points on the night. Ferreira doled out two assists to go along with his goal. 

Logan Estes finished with nine saves and three steals.

Three different players scored for Loyola Marymount. Joining Poulleau were Bence Barics and Roman Saroyan.

Stelios Dalmaras had four saves and Finn Friedland had one for LMU.
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TRITON TIDBITS
• Landon Akerstrom upped his goal-scoring streak to 11 games. He netted multiple goals in eight of those.
• Logan Estes has 15 steals over his last five outings.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts a Big West game for the first time this season when Cal State Fullerton comes to Canyonview Aquatic Center on Fri., Oct. 18. The contest is slated for a 6 p.m. start and you can get tickets through the Triton Box Office.
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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.