LA JOLLA CALIF. - UC San Diego Men's Water Polo faced off against Loyola Marymount Saturday afternoon in a non-conference match-up at Canyonview Aquatic Center. The 11th-ranked Tritons(15-6) defeated the eighth-ranked Lions(15-7), 16-14 in overtime.
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Jackson Boettner led the Tritons with seven points, scoring two goals and dishing out five assists while adding four steals.
The Triton offense featured a balanced attack as
Jaime Bhattacharyya,
Christian Hammonds, and
Finn Bugelli netted three goals apiece. Eight Tritons scored in the game.
Goalie
Alex Hegeman recorded eight saves and a steal in net.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego started strong, scoring twice in the first two minutes and five times overall in the opening quarter to hold a 5-2 lead after eight minutes of action. Bhattacharyya scored back-to-back goals with a five-meter penalty shot at 3:06 and follow-up at 2:09.
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The second quarter was a defensive back-and-forth until the Lions scored twice within a minute span midway through. The Tritons kept their lead as they matched the Lions' goals with three of their own, including a five-meter by Landon Ackerstrom at 1:49. The game went into halftime with the Tritons up 8-5.
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The third frame began with a quick score by Triton
Michael Rodgers at 7:35. UC San Diego would get one more by Boettner at 6:36, just before LMU surged. The Lions scored six straight - three in the third and three in the fourth to take an 11-10 lead with 4:08 remaining in the 4th.
The Tritons answered with a power-play goal by
Finn Bugelli at 3:37. A five-meter goal by Hammonds put UC San Diego ahead with 1:29 left. On the next possession, the Lions would tie it up with 1:04 left in regulation. Stout defense by both sides sent the match into overtime tied at 12-12.
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In the first three-minute overtime,
Mason Presley forced an exclusion, passed to
Lachlan Rossi, drove towards the goal, and scored on a quick pass back from Rossi to put the Tritons ahead 13-12. A Hammonds goal would put the Tritons up by two with :20 left in the first overtime period. However, a five-meter penalty goal by the Lions drew them withing one at 14-13 heading into the second extra period.
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Michael Rodgers' goal on the first possession of the second OT put the Tritons ahead 15-13. That would stand as the game-winning goal. LMU scored in the final minute of overtime, but Bugelli solidified the victory with a score with just six seconds on the clock.
QUOTABLES
 "We faced LMU in the Battle of the Kings a month ago at our place and the games were eerily similar with the starts. We knew they were a dangerous team. They had won eight games in a row. We knew it would be a battle." - UC San Diego head coach Matt Ustaszewski
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In the third quarter, the Lions went on a 6-0 scoring run that gave them their first lead of the game. "They ramped up their pressure and we were a little lackadaisical on our releasing and let them dictate the flow a little", said Ustaszewski . "They will be a conference team soon, getting a little more familiarity to play against that style is really important for us - it's a great experience for both teams."
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In overtime, the Tritons kept ahead and seemingly settled in to cruise to victory. "We made our power-plays, we opened up the space pretty well there, more diligent in forcing the releases and the movement. We ,made little adjustments on our shifts, we put those away. They are really critical this time of the year; the power-plays ultimately dictate a lot of winning. We were really impressed with our ability to step up in those overtime quarters."
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The Tritons have won two straight against higher-ranked opponents. "We are a committed group, and we are getting more connected. The guys love playing for each other, and when we share the ball, we have an unselfishness; it can be really fun and exciting to watch and play. Guys are embracing it, said Ustaszewski.
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Sunday, UC San Diego will face off against No. 2 Stanford at Canyonview Aquatic Center. "It's a great opportunity for us. It will prepare us mentally and physically for the grind of what a conference championship or the NCAA Championship could be like. For us, theoretically, a quarterfinal on the road at UCI, a semifinal here with LMU, and a final in our own mind against Stanford University. We're excited; it's great for water polo in San Diego," said Ustaszewski.
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"We came off a fun win last night (at UC Irvine). Today, we were focused on how we could rebound from a tight game last night. It was all about our effort and intensity from the get-go" said
Mason Presley.
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In overtime,
Mason Presley took the lead single-handedly with a drawn exclusion and a goal in rapid succession. "I noticed they were pressing hard; I showed the refs I was getting held; my teammates set it up for me; it was a group effort on that one," said Presley.
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Jackson Boettner led the team with five assists today. "This game my shot percentage wasn't that good. I knew we had to score a different way - me setting up my teammates. They know I want to shoot. I want to shoot too, but using that to my advantage and setting up my teammates - them thinking I'm going to shoot and then giving up the extra pass - that's what led us to the win today," said Boettner.
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TRITON TIDBITS
• The win avenged a 10-9 loss to LMU back in late September in La Jolla.
•The Tritons shot .432 to LMU's .483.
• UC San Diego was 4-for-15 on power plays and 3-for-3 on five-meter penalty shots.Â
UP NEXT
UC San Diego faces Stanford, the second-ranked team in the nation, Sunday. The non-conference tilt is set for 1 pm at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
Tickets are available through the Triton Box Office.
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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.
