LA JOLLA, Calif. — It was King Triton all the way as the seventh-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team defeated No. 12 LMU Wednesday in the annual Battle of the Kings game at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
With their third-consecutive win the Tritons improved to 12-5 overall. The Lions dropped to 4-6.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started with consecutive LMU goals by Caden Poulleau and Alika Naone in the first 2:21 of the opening quarter. The first came on a power play, the second on a five-meter penalty shot.
UC San Diego responded in a kingly way, tallying the game's next six goals.
Felipe Ferreira got things going at 5:09 of the first on a power play.
Ante Buzov tied it at 2-2 at 3:17 in the first. The go-ahead goal was scored by
Brendon Fezzey on a power play at at 6:34 in the second and the Tritons would retain their lead until the final buzzer.
Buzov finished with a hat trick while Ferreira,
Christian Hammonds, and
Eamon Hennessey all scored twice. Ferreira and Hammonds each dished out three assists to finish the night with five points.
Alex Hegeman logged another solid game in goal for UC San Diego, collecting four steals to go along with five saves.
The Tritons netted four power play goals in 10 opportunities.
For the Lions, Abel Romero Corbalan had two goals and an assist. Goalie Finn Friedland made nine stops.
TRITON TIDBITS
• The Battle of the Kings namesake stems from UC San Diego's King Triton mascot (King of the Sea) and LMU's Lions mascot (King of the Jungle).
• UC San Diego leads the all-time Battle of the Kings series, 11-8.
• It was the second victory for the Tritons against the Lions since Saturday as the team's met at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational with UC San Diego earning a 13-11 win.
• Senior
Bennett Axline was named the Big West Athlete of the Week Wednesday.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego heads to Riverside to compete in the Lancer Joust. The Tritons will take on Biola (10 a.m.) as well as host California Baptist (3:30 p.m.) on Saturday, September 27.
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.
