UC San Diego

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Christian Hammonds and Mason Presley contributed five points apiece as the 10th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team defeated Biola by a score of 15-7 Thursday night at Canyonview Aquatic Center.

With just one more regular season game to play, the Tritons improved to 17-9 overall. The Eagles, playing in their final regular season game, dropped to 14-16. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons scored the first three goals of the game, all coming in the first four minutes of the opening quarter. Liam Amburgey got things started with a power play strike and was followed by Lucas Pearce and Davidka Skov. Micah Hernandez put the Eagles on the board with an extra man goal at 3:03. Amburgey netted his second of the game at 2:11, putting UC San Diego up 4-1. Again, Biola answered when Noah Ryznar scored with just over a minute left in the first period.

The Tritons were relentless in the second quarter, out-scoring their opponent 8-3. Hernandez found the back of the net again very early in the quarter to get the Eagles within a single goal at 4-3.

UC San Diego then reeled off the game's next six goals to take a 10-3 advantage. Presley posted a hat trick during the run, including back-to-back goals that kicked off the spree. 

Biola's fourth goal didn't come until 1:55 remaining before halftime.

The scoring settled in the second half as UC San Diego scored twice in the third and once in the fourth. Biola scored one goal in each of the final two quarters.

A Lachlan Rossi power play goal halfway through the fourth gave the Tritons a nine-point lead at 15-6, the largest spread of the contest. 

Hammonds collected his five total points on two goals and three assists. Presley had a pair of assists to go along with his hat trick.

All-in-all, nine Tritons scored at least once.

Jayden Rose matched Hernandez with two goals for the Eagles.
 
TRITON TIDBITS
• The Tritons held a 31-20 advantage in shots.
• Christian Hammonds has scored in all 26 games he has played in.

UP NEXT
The Tritons end their regular season Saturday by hosting 20th-ranked Saint Mary's at 1 p.m. It will also be Senior Day with six Tritons being celebrated starting at 11:40 a.m.

The following week, UC San Diego heads to the Big West Championship. Hosted by Long Beach State, the event runs November 20-22. 

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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.