LOS ANGELES - The seventh-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team was defeated 19-9 by third-ranked UCLA Saturday at the Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles.
With the Bruins leading by just two goals at halftime, they stepped on the gas in the second half and put 14 shots in the net.
Eight different Tritons scored. Freshman
Lucas Pearce registered his sixth two-goal game of the season. Seven other players scored single goals for UC San Diego.
Christian Hammonds racked up four points with a goal and a trio of assists.
Landon Akerstrom and
Liam Amburgey each scored a goal and dished out an assist.
Ryder Dodd netted 12 goals off of 14 shots for the reigning national champion Bruins. Flynn Guenther and Jack Merrill each scored twice and three others had one goal apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UCLA scored the game's first two goals with Dodd and Ben Liechty going back-to-back at 7:37 and 6:43 of the opening period. Dodd's came on a five-meter penalty shot. The Bruins stayed in front the rest of the way.
Grant Kurtz followed closely, scoring UC San Diego's first goal at 5:23 of the first. The Tritons trailed by a single goal four times in the first half, the final occurence coming when Akerstrom scored on a power play to make it 4-3 UCLA with just under four minutes remaining until halftime.
A four-goal run by UCLA in the third saw the Bruins in front by a 10-4 score with 1:48 left in the quarter.
Senior
Mason Presley scored on a power play with three minutes left in the fourth. It was UC San Diego's ninth and final goal of the game.
In front 15-9, UCLA closed out the game with four straight goals Two of them came from Dodd, the other two from Jack Merrill.
TRITON TIDBITS
•
Christian Hammonds continued his scoring streak and has netted a goal in all 25 games this season.
• The upcoming Big West Championship is set for Nov. 20-22 at Long Beach State.
• UC San Diego is set to host the 2026 National Collegiate Championship Dec. 4-6 at Canyonview Aquatic Center.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts a pair of non-conference games at Canyonview Aquatic Center to close out the regular season. On Thursday, November 12, the Tritons host Biola at 6 p.m. On Saturday, November 14, Saint Mary's comes in for a 12 p.m. game. Saturday will also be Senior Day, so make sure to arrive early as the celebration will take place before the game.
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.
