LA JOLLA, Calif. — For the second straight day the 12th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team split a pair of games as host of the Triton Invitational at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
The Tritons started Saturday with a convincing 20-3 win against Occidental before dropping an 18-2 decision to UCLA, the top-ranked team in the country as well as the reigning national champion.
With the results, UC San Diego is now 2-2 on the young season.
AGAINST OCCIDENTAL
In a decisive victory, #12 UC San Diego overwhelmed Occidental, winning 20-3 Saturday. The Tritons showcased their superior skill and depth, finding the net consistently throughout the game.
The scoring opened with
Bennett Axline potting a goal at 3:38 of the first period, setting the tone for the match.
Ante Buzov quickly followed up with two goals, and the Tritons established a commanding 5-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. Travis Hughes scored the lone goal for for the Tigers.
UCSD continued its offensive onslaught in the second period, adding another four goals while Occidental managed to score two. With contributions from players like
Mason Presley and
Lachlan Rossi, the Tritons extended their lead to 9-3 at halftime.
The second half saw the Tritons maintain their dominance, scoring four goals in the third period and another seven in the final quarter.
Overall, Axline, Buzov, Hammonds, Hennessey,
Reef Lippa, Presley, and
Luca Rago all contributed two goals apiece.
Christian Hammonds had four points on two goals and two assists while Hennessey and Presley also had single assists to finish with three points each.
In net for the Tritons, starter
Alex Hegeman made eight saves in 24 minutes of the game. Over the final eight minutes,
Winston Loh stopped three bids by the Tigers.
Despite the loss, Occidental's Jack Schroeder made eight saves during the relentless Triton attack.
AGAINST UCLA
The Bruins were consistent in their attack, scoring five goals in three of the four quarters. The second frame saw three scores from the reigning national champion.
Both of UC San Diego's goals were scored on a power play. The first came from
Felipe Ferreira at 6:15 of the first quarter and the second was put up by
Eamon Hennessey with four seconds left in the third quarter.
Eleven UCLA players scored in the game. Chase Dodd and Ben Liechty each recorded hat tricks.
In net,
Alex Hegeman made five saves for the Tritons. Nate Tauscher had eight and Joey Kent had three for the Bruins.
TRITON TIDBITS
• Nine Tritons have made their career debuts during the Triton Invitational thus far -
Razvan Alistar,
Liam Amburgey,
Kyson Becker,
Jackson Boettner,
Dusan Djordjevic,
Cole Harman,
Alex Hegeman,
Winston Loh, and
Davidka Skov.
UP NEXT
The third and final day of action at the Triton Invitational is set for Sunday. UC San Diego will take on George Washington at noon and wrap up the tourney against seventh-ranked Pepperdine at 4 p.m. Both contests can be followed with FOSH live stats and the tilt against Pepperdine will also be broadcast live by ESPN+.
Triton Invitational tickets, season tickets, 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.
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.
