DAVIS, Calif. – A back-and-forth affair that went down to the wire ended in an 11-10 win for the 12th-ranked UC San Diego men's water polo team over No. 9 UC Davis Saturday afternoon at Schaal Aquatics Center.
UC San Diego avenged a one-point overtime loss from September 24 at the MPSF Invitational and handed Davis its first conference loss of the season.
The Tritons improve to 13-8 overall and 6-2 in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA). The Aggies dropped to 15-8 and 7-1.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Tied 4-4 after the opening quarter, UC San Diego netted two goals in the second period and held UC Davis to just one goal to take a 6-5 lead at halftime.
The Aggies scored the first goal of the second half to tie the score up at six, and senior
Karlo Krmek responded with a goal on the next play. Davis netted two unanswered goals, before Junior
Vedran Latkovic tied the score at eight on a penalty shot. Davis' keeper knocked down Latkovic's second penalty shot attempt with 20 seconds remaining in the period and the Aggies were up 9-8 heading into the final frame.
The Tritons put up three unanswered goals to take an 11-9 advantage in the fourth period. Davis was able to score off a powerplay with 25 seconds remaining to cut the lead to one, but it wouldn't be enough.
Latkovic led UC San Diego offensively, with 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist). Krmek and
Calder Hilde-Jones each had a hat trick and
Kaden Likins netted one for the 11 total goals.
Goalkeeper
Alexander Nemeth recorded 11 saves, two steals in the match. Nemeth improves his season record to 12-7.
Logan Anderson led the Aggies with three goals. Five UC Davis players scored in the contest.
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WHAT HEAD COACH DENNY HARPER HAD TO SAY
"Needless to say it was a good road trip for us to win at Santa Clara and UC Davis, both conference games. You always hope that you're playing your best towards the end of the season and it appears we are on that track leading to what should be one of, if not the most competitive conference tournaments ever in less than two weeks."
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UP NEXT
The Tritons will have a final tune up at home with the San Francisco Olympic Club next Saturday at 2 p.m. before heading to Davis for the WWPA Tournament.
For the team's full season schedule, click
here.
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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 Conference 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.
