UCLA
Loyola Marymount
UCLA Men's Water Polo Downs Loyola Marymount, 7-3
October 28, 2006 | Men's Water Polo
Oct. 28, 2006
Los Angeles - Seniors Michael March and Logan Powell and sophomore Krsto Sbutega each scored two goals to lead the third-ranked UCLA men's water polo team past eighth-ranked Loyola Marymount, 7-3, Saturday afternoon at LMU's Burns Recreation Center.
Anchored by solid team defense and a strong performance from freshman goalkeeper Chay Lapin, UCLA (10-4) limited the Lions' offense to just three second-half goals. The Bruins led 2-0 through the first half and 3-0 at halftime.
Junior Marco Santos got UCLA on the board just 54 seconds into the game with his 17th goal of the season. March doubled the Bruins' cushion with a shot that brushed off the bottom of the crossbar and sailed into the cage. With 2:30 to play in the first half, Powell tallied his first goal of the afternoon to give UCLA a 3-0 lead at the half.
The Bruins came out firing in the second half, increasing their lead to four with a goal by Sbutega at 5:33 in the third quarter. Loyola Marymount (14-10) registered its first goal of the day at 5:10 in the third quarter with a score by senior Ben Easton. UCLA responded 45 seconds later when Powell scored on a five-meter penalty shot, giving the Bruins a 5-1 advantage.
UCLA gained its largest lead of the afternoon with 1:47 to play in the third quarter when March used a brilliant fake pump to move LMU goalkeeper Ian Elliott out of position before finding the back of the cage. The Bruins surrendered a goal to junior Shaun Flood at 1:12 in the third quarter before Sbutega scored for the second time in the afternoon. LMU senior Cuberto Hernandez added the game's final goal on a 6-on-5 situation at 5:48 in the fourth quarter.
Lapin finished the day with eight saves, lowering his goals against average to 4.86. Elliott tallied 12 stops in the cage for LMU.
UCLA (10-4) vs. Loyola Marymount (14-10)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| UCLA | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Loyola Marymount | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
UCLA Goals: Michael March 2, Logan Powell 2, Krsto Sbutega 2, Marco Santos
UCLA Saves: Chay Lapin 8
Loyola Marymount Goals: Ben Easton, Shaun Flood, Cuberto Hernandez
Loyola Marymount Saves: Ian Elliott 12
