STANFORD, Calif. — For the second time this season the No. 9 UC San Diego men's water polo team edged No. 11 Pepperdine, taking a 10-9 decision Friday on the opening day of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invite.
Stanford is hosting the event Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Avery Aquatic Center.
With the victory, the Tritons improved to 8-1 and will face off against UCLA, the No. 1 squad in the nation, Saturday at 8 a.m.
Senior
Finn Bugelli's goal with just 39 seconds left in the game stood as the game-winner as it put the Tritons ahead 10-8.
UC San Diego sophomore
Jackson Boettner led all players with four goals. Junior
Christian Hammonds, the Tritons' top scorer, netted two goals as did junior
Jack Wright.
Boettner scored the game's first two goals early in the opening quarter and UC San Diego would never trail. The Wave did tie the score twice, once at 3-3 in the first and again at 4-4 in the second. A Wright goal at the 5:58 mark of the third put the Tritons ahead 5-4 and they were able to retain a lead the rest of the way.
Erik Ionescu had four points for the Wave, collecting a hat trick and an assist.
UC San Diego also defeated Pepperdine 17-15 in overtime on August 30 during the Triton Invitational in La Jolla.
Saturday's game against the Bruins can be followed with a
live stream by Overnght.com.
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.
