LA JOLLA, Calif. — Freshman Grant Kurtz scored a season-high four goals as UC San Diego rolled to a 20-8 home victory against Whittier Saturday in non-conference men's water polo action.

With the win, the Tritons improved to 13-10. The Poets dropped to 14-8.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons won all four quarters, which included a 6-1 advantage in the final period.

UC San Diego never trailed but the game was tied once at 1-1 in the first quarter. The Tritons opened the scoring just 34 seconds in when co-captain Brendon Fezzey capitalized on a power play. Whittier's Zander Montoya drew a penalty shot and buried it at 4:45 to even it up.

However, the Tritons scored the game's next three goals, courtesy of Ante Buzov, Eamon Hennessey, and Kurtz, to go up 4-1 late in the first quarter. They would keep a lead the rest of the way.

UC San Diego's largest lead of the day was the final 12-point spread. In front 13-7 late in the third quarter after a Whittier goal, the Tritons scored the game's next seven goals to essentially seal the win.

Kurtz scored once in the first quarter, once in the third, and twice in the fourth. His third goal came on a five-meter penalty shot.

Hennessey and Landon Akerstrom each recorded a hat trick and dished out two assists for five points. Buzov, Mason Presley, and Lucas Romaguera had two goals apiece.

The Tritons got three goalies into the cage including Logan Estes, Nikita Valajev, and Parker George. Estes, the team's usual starter, made three saves over 16 minutes of action. Valajev played 13 minutes and racked up four saves, two assists, and two steals. George made one save in three minutes of play.

Montoya contributed three goals while Ethan Klerck had a pair. Loronzo Angelucci played all 32 minutes in goal and made eight saves.
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HIGHLIGHT REEL

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GRANT KURTZ INTERVIEW

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TRITON TIDBITS
• It was the fourth time this season that the Tritons scored at least 20 goals.
• Eamon Hennessey matched his career-highs with three goals and five points.
• Landon Akerstrom upped his goal-scoring streak to 14 games.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts Big West rival UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. Tickets for home games are available 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.