University of California, Santa Barbara

LA JOLLA, Calif. — After dropping two spots in the national rankings and watching its opponents climb two higher ahead of Friday night, the No. 14 UC Santa Barbara team marched into Canyonview Aquatic Center and earned its best win of the season, upsetting No. 8 UC San Diego, 14-8 in a pivotal Big West victory. The Gauchos benefited not only from the return of stellar Serbian Luigi Canepa, who put home six goals and assisted four more, but also from a staunch defensive performance anchored by Wyatt Pieretti. The fifth-year goalkeeper tallied 10 saves on the night, while allowing just eight goals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a slow first quarter in which Canepa dented the twine on Santa Barbara's first possession but then no Gaucho scored for the rest of the period, Pieretti and the defense came up big to hold the Tritons to just two scores over those first eight minutes. Then, with Santa Barbara's defense still shutting down their hosts' offense, the Gaucho attack burst into life in the second quarter, putting together an eight-minute stretch that all but won the game. It started with Kai Ross ending his team's scoring drought inside the first minute. Then, Oliver Sherwood and Canepa tallied within 45 seconds of each other to put Santa Barbara up, 4-2. Camren Simoncelli extended the lead to three, then Canepa made it four. After the Tritons got a goal in the final minute, the Gauchos drew a five-meter penalty shot in the final second of the half, and Canepa converted it. At the break, Santa Barbara held a 7-3 lead.
 
That lead did become more tenuous in the third quarter, when UC San Diego out-scored the Gauchos, 4-2, but goals from Sherwood and Canepa kept Santa Barbara in front throughout the period. And in the fourth, the Gauchos ran away with the game. Pieretti and the defense again held the Tritons to just one goal over the eight minutes, and the offense again put up a big number. Simoncelli scored early, and when Charlie Johnson made the most of a six-on-five opportunity with 4:43 left in the game, putting Santa Barbara up 11-7, it just about sealed the result. The Tritons scored soon after, but Canepa delivered the dagger with his sixth goal of the game and 2:53 to go, then Finn Genc and Tyler Roller both punished UC San Diego's go-for-broke attempts with goals inside the last minute.
 
UP NEXT
Through two weekends of conference action, Santa Barbara sits tied for third place in The Big West standings, with joint-leaders UC Irvine and California Baptist to play each other on Saturday. The Gauchos' next match is back at home, as they will welcome preseason favorites Long Beach State to Santa Barbara on Oct. 24 at 12 noon. Next Saturday's match is the Nick Johnson Memorial Match, part of UC Santa Barbara Men's Water Polo's Alumni, Friends and Family Weekend.