SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's water polo team scored ten goals against two NCAA Division 1 opponents but lost twice on Saturday afternoon, 17-10 to Cal State Fullerton and 30-10 to 12th-ranked UC Santa Barbara.
The Bobcats (12-11) ten goals are the most against a NCAA Division 1 foe in program history.
Andrew Jones notched a hat trick in each game. Tommy Bauer, Killian Nguyen, and Camden Peterson each had one hat trick.
Game One | Cal State Fullerton 17, UC Merced 10
Cal State Fullerton scored two early goals before UC Merced countered with a power play goal from Jones and an even strength goal from Nguyen to tie it up. The Titans then created separation with five straight goals leading up to the final two minutes of the first half. A fast-paced last two minutes saw the two teams combine for five goals, including three scored by the Bobcats to make it a 9-5 game at halftime. Nguyen, Jones, and James Soto were the Bobcats three goal scorers in the stretch.
Cal State Fullerton buried three goals to start the second half and managed to hold a lead of six goals or more the rest of the way. Tommy Bauer was a bright spot offensively for UC Merced in the second half with two goals in the third quarter and one more in the fourth. The Titans last goal came midway through the fourth quarter, while Nguyen finalized the scoring and his hat trick with 3:43 to go.
Bauer and Nguyen were each credited with eight steals in the loss.
Matthew Lloyd recorded ten saves over his 32 minutes in the cage.
Game One | UC Santa Barbara 30, UC Merced 10
UC Santa Barbara marked the Bobcats second highest ranked opponent in program history. Jones and Peterson battled tough offensively with a hat trick each, while Nguyen found the back of the net twice.
The Gauchos exploded for ten first quarter goals to set the tone early. Nguyen scored the only Bobcat goal in the frame and it came within the first two minutes. The second quarter was more evenly played with the Bobcats depositing four shots in the net compared to the Gauchos six. The Bobcats trailed 16-5 at intermission.
The second half played out similar to the first with the Gauchos having a huge third quarter outscoring the Bobcats 9-2 before the fourth quarter saw UC Santa Barbara hold a 5-3 scoring advantage leading to the 30-10 final.
Despite falling, UC Merced managed to put back-to-back goals together twice in the second half. Peterson and Jones went back-to-back in the third quarter while it was Soto and Jones in the final frame. UCSB responded to the Bobcats two fourth quarter goals with four straight to end the day.
Lloyd, Sebastian Palomera, and Ethan Stocker shared time in the cage. Palomera totaled eight saves between the second and third quarters. Lloyd drew the start.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will travel east to compete in the Harvard Invitational October 14-15 at Blodgett Pool in Cambridge, Mass. UC Merced, who will play four matches over the weekend, will start with Harvard at 7:30am PST on October 14.
