IRVINE, Calif. — An
Ante Buzov hat trick along with potent offensive and defensive play in the second half paced the UC San Diego men's water polo team to an 11-8 win against UC Irvine Friday in the first round of the Big West Championship.
The fourth-seeded Tritons (21-9) return to the pool Saturday to take on Long Beach State (16-8), the top seed, in a semifinal at noon.
UC Irvine (15-12), which is hosting the event at the Anteater Aquatics Complex, saw its season come to an end with the loss.
Saturday's game can be followed live on ESPN+ as well as FOSH Live Stats.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was tight early as the score was tied 2-2 after the first quarter.
The Anteaters won the second frame, 4-3, but a
Lucas Romaguera goal with 17 seconds remaining in the half kicked off a seven-goal barrage by the Tritons.
UC San Diego came out swinging in the third quarter, scoring five times while holding the Anteaters scoreless. The spree that was started by Romaguera continued at the 6:48 mark when
Felipe Ferreira found the back of the net to knot the score at 6-6.
Brendon Fezzey followed on a power play and
Finn Bugelli struck 21 seconds later, making it 8-6 in favor of UC San Diego.
Luca Rago's goal at the 2:54 mark brought it to 9-6 and Buzov tallied his second of the game with 42 seconds left in the third to give the Tritons a 10-6 lead.
Buzov completed his hat trick mid-way through the fourth stanza.
UC Irvine netted the game's final two goals. Luka Krstic potted his third of the game on a five-meter penalty shot at 1:33 and Gage Verdegaal scored on a power play in the final second of the contest.
Along with Buzov, Fezzey also finished with three points on a pair of goals and an assist. A trio of Tritons contributed two points apiece including
Mark Laurlund (two assists), Rago (one goal, one assist), and Romaguera (one goal, one assist).
Triton goalie
Alex Hegeman made three saves and added a steal in the victory.
ALEX HEGEMAN/MATT USTASZEWSKI INTERVIEW
TRITON TIDBITS
• For UC San Diego, it was the second win of the season against UC Irvine (9-8 on Nov. 7 in La Jolla).
• It was Buzov's ninth multiple-goal game and fourth hat trick of the season.
• No. 3 seed UC Davis defeated No. 6 seed Cal State Fullerton 14-9 in Friday's second first round game and will face second-seeded UC Santa Barbara in Saturday's other semifinal.
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.
