CLAREMONT, Calif. — The seventh-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team ran its win streak to seven games Friday by defeating Pomona-Pitzer and McKendree.

The Tritons began the day with a convincing 21-9 win over McKendree. They followed up with a 14-8 victory against Pomona-Pitzer.

UC San Diego is now 16-5 on the season as it heads into its Big West schedule next week.

The games were part of the Gary Troyer Tournament, hosted by Pomona-Pitzer at Haldeman Pool.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST MCKENDREE
McKendree (4-7) scored the first two goals of the game in the first quarter. With just under two minutes remaining in the period, UC San Diego went off for three consecutive scores by Christian Hammonds, Jackson Boettner, and Ante Buzov to take a momentary lead at 3-2. Yannick Robertson tallied a goal with 26 seconds left to draw the Bearcats even with the score 3-3 heading into quarter two.

The Tritons retook the lead in the second, out-scoring McKendree 4-2. For the second time, they struck for three straight goals with Buzov and Hammonds figuring again and Eamon Hennessey joining in. That spree put UC San Diego ahead by a 6-3 count with 1:29 on the clock until halftime and the Tritons stayed in front the rest of the way.

Already ahead 7-5, UC San Diego took complete control in the third period, scoring nine goals to McKendree's three to lead 16-8 going into the final quarter.  

The fourth saw five more Triton goals while the Bearcats tallied just one.

Breaking down the individual goal count, Boettner and Hammonds provided four apiece, new career highs for the freshman and sophomore, respectively. Boettner also assisted on a goal, giving him five points in the contest.

Buzov, Finn Bugelli, and Lachlan Rossi all scored twice while seven other Tritons had single goals.

UC San Diego held a massive 37-17 advantage in shots. The team made good on six of eight power play opportunities.

Triton goalie Alex Hegeman made three saves over 30 minutes of play. Winston Loh was between the posts for two minutes.

Robertson and Armand Le Goff led McKendree in scoring with three goals apiece. Goalie Gennaro Pecoraro made 11 saves in the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST POMONA-PITZER
UC San Diego out-scored Pomona-Pitzer (7-8) 7-2 in the first quarter and never trailed in the game.

The score was tied once when a goal by Sagehen Ryan Kreutzkamp evened it at 2-2 at the 2:50 mark of the opening frame. However, the Tritons responded with seven straight scores that led them to a 9-2 advantage with 3:17 left in the second quarter. They tallied two more goals before halftime and led 11-3 at the break.

Pomona-Pitzer won the third quarter, 4-2, but it was too little, too late.

The Tritons fired 30 shots to the Sagehens' 22. Neither squad was effective on man-up situations with UC San Diego going two for nine and Pomona-Pitzer coming in at three for 10. Both teams scored one five-meter penalty shot goal.

Triton Christian Hammonds led all players with three goals. Ante Buzov, Lucas Romaguera and Jackson Boettner each scored twice. Mason Presley racked up three points with a goal and a pair of assists. Goalie Alex Hegeman stopped nine shots in goal.

For the Sagehens, Darragh Flanders and Alden Pfau had two goals each. Greg Moore and John Possman combined for 10 saves.

TRITON TIDBITS
• UC San Diego's current seven game win streak is its longest since 2019.
• Christian Hammonds had seven goals on the day.
• Freshman Jackson Boettner totaled seven points with six goals and an assist today.
• Ante Buzov had two goals in each contest and ran his scoring streak to six games.
• Pomona-Pitzer is the No. 2-ranked team in NCAA Division III.
• McKendree is located in Lebanon, Illinois

UP NEXT
UC San Diego opens its Big West slate on Oct. 11 at UC Santa Barbara. The game is set for 10:30 a.m. and it will be played at Dos Pueblos High School. The Tritons return home the following week to host Big West foe Long Beach State on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. The following evening at 6 p.m., they face off against Princeton for the second time this season.

Season and single game tickets are available for purchase online by visiting the link HERE or by calling (858) 534-1430. For more ticket information, e-mail the box office at triton-tix@ucsd.edu.

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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.