LA JOLLA, Calif. — The No. 7 UC Davis men's water polo team wrapped up the final day of the 2022 Triton Invitational with a split, falling in a hard-fought battle against No. 3 UCLA, 12-8, then defeating No. 10 Pepperdine, 15-10, on Sunday in La Jolla, Calif.
Facing four nationally ranked opponents over the tournament's weekend, UC Davis earned a record of 3-1 overall on the year. The Aggies secured third place out of the 15 teams that participated in the Triton Invitational on the UCSD campus.
"We encouraged by our results but know that the season is long, and many challenges await us," head coach
Daniel Leyson said. "Our team has been through a lot of adversity this year and it feels good to have everyone together. We dedicate these victories and any more that may come this season to Stefan as he continues his recovery."
A back-and-forth contest had UC Davis and Pepperdine tied after the first quarter, 3-3. At the break, the Aggies held a one-goal lead over the Waves by a score of 6-5.
A tight third period saw UC Davis trade goals with Pepperdine, which meant the Aggies maintained their lead going into the fourth quarter. In the final frame, UC Davis burst ahead with an offensive explosion and ultimately secured the win, 15-10. Junior
Aleix Aznar Beltran and senior
Connor Norton netted hat tricks in the match.
On Sunday's opener, the Aggies got off to a strong start, carrying a 3-1 lead after the first period, thanks to goals by redshirt sophomore
Colin Nicholls, redshirt senior
Levi Murtaugh and
Connor Norton.
The Bruins responded with an explosion of six goals in the following frame, including a buzzer beater to hold a 7-6 advantage at halftime.
UCLA tacked on three more in the third period while UC Davis couldn't find an answer to the back of the net. Two more goals in the fourth period sealed the deal as UCLA handed the Aggies their first loss of the season, 12-8. UCLA's Chase Dodd led all players with a hat trick.
UC Davis' schedule slows down a bit as the team returns home for their home opener on Sept. 11 at 12 pm PT against San Jose State, who is 1-0 after defeating Santa Clara in the South Bay Invite by a score of 10-8.
