LA JOLLA, Calif. — Ten Tritons scored goals as the No. 8 UC San Diego men's water polo team defeated Concordia University of Irvine, 19-8, Saturday afternoon at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
The team upped its overall record to 13-6 with the non-conference victory. CUI, which came in riding a three-game win streak, fell to 15-10.
Of the 10 Tritons to score goals, seven found the net multiple times.
Junior
Grant Kurtz established new career-highs with six points and four assists. His two goals included a five-meter penalty shot conversion in the second quarter.
Junior
Christian Hammonds, the team's co-leader in goals and leader in assists, points, and steals, scored twice and dished out three assists.
Sophomore
Jackson Boettner matched his career-high with a game-best four goals and
Mason Presley had four points with a goal and three helpers. The three assists established a new single game high for the senior.
Four other Tritons scored twice including junior Liam Amburgy, fifth-year
Reef Lippa, junior
Lachlan Rossi, and freshman
Bryan Shapirshteyn all scored twice in the game.
Senior
Landon Akerstrom and sophomore
Kyson Becker each had a goal as well.Â
In goal, sophomore
Alex Hegeman finished with eight saves and two steals.
Jack Elder played the fourth quarter and made two stops.
Joao Goncalves gave the Golden Eagles an early lead when he scored on a five-meter at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter. The Tritons owned the game's next three goals as Kurtz, Hammonds, and Rossi had UC San Diego in front, 3-1 with under two minutes left in the opening frame. The Tritons held a lead for the rest of the game.
The second quarter saw the home team outscore the visitors 6-1 to take a 9-3 lead into halftime. The Tritons put up another six-spot in the third period and finished with another four in the final quarter.
Goncalves and Kaliq Khan each scored twice for the Golden Eagles. Keepers Derek Maddox and Ethan Sutherland combined for 10 saves.
UC San Diego scored five power play goals in nine extra-man situations. CUI was not able to convert on any of its seven power play opportunities.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
TRITON TIDBITS
•
Jackson Boettner and
Christian Hammonds are tied for the. team lead with 44 goals apiece.
• UC San Diego is 13-1 against Concordia University Irvine since 2009.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts Big West rival UC Irvine on Friday, October 23 at 6 p.m.. Tickets are available through the
Triton Box Office.
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.
