UCSB dominates Long Beach State, cruises to 13-8 victory

No. 12 UC Santa Barbara Men’s Water Polo delivered an impressive 13-8 upset over No. 9 University of California, Long Beach on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Santa Barbara High School. The Gauchos demonstrated an exceptionally coordinated defensive effort, holding off a formidable Long Beach offense whilst securing its second consecutive victory over a nationally ranked opponent.

The Gauchos entered the match — which was dedicated to the late Gaucho Nick Johnson — fresh off a 14-8 win over No. 8 UC San Diego the previous weekend. The victory improved their conference record to 2-1 and continued their momentum against ranked competition. 

Santa Barbara established an early lead when freshman attacker Luigi Canepa converted a five-meter penalty just 42 seconds into the opening quarter. Long Beach’s sophomore attacker Federico Gulisano quickly responded, leveling the score at 1-1 before freshman attacker Dash D’Ambrosia restored the Gauchos’ advantage. Despite several impressive consecutive saves from fifth-year goalkeeper Wyatt Pieretti, the Beach managed to equalize again, bringing the first quarter to a 2-2 close. 

The second quarter, however, saw a considerable shift in momentum.

UCSB’s increasingly aggressive defense forced Long Beach into difficult offensive positions, allowing the Gauchos to capitalize on turnovers and launch counterattacks. Sophomore attacker Charlie Johnson opened the quarter’s scoring before Canepa converted two additional five-meter penalties, extending Santa Barbara’s lead to 5-2. 

Although Long Beach’s junior attacker Harper Stewart briefly interrupted the Gauchos’ offensive momentum, senior attacker Finn Genc secured another goal with just 11 seconds remaining before halftime, giving UCSB a comfortable 6-3 advantage. 

The third quarter saw Long Beach mount a more determined offensive challenge, with frequent exclusions and turnovers disrupting both teams’ rhythm. Long Beach gradually narrowed the deficit through goals from junior utility player Artur Diaz and senior utility player Marc Frigola, whilst freshman attacker Noah Loo contributed UCSB’s lone goal of the quarter. 

Nevertheless, Pieretti remained a daunting presence in the Santa Barbara goal, repeatedly denying Long Beach opportunities to capitalise on its numerical advantages. The Beach managed to reduce the deficit to 7-5 entering the final quarter, leaving the outcome within reach. 

Any possibility of a Long Beach comeback, however, was quickly extinguished.

D’Ambrosia opened the fourth quarter with two consecutive goals, completing his hat trick and extending UCSB’s advantage to 9-5. Long Beach eventually responded, but freshman center Hayden Tully restored the four-goal margin just 13 seconds later.

The most remarkable moment of the match came courtesy of Pieretti when he, following Canepa’s fourth goal, capitalized on Long Beach’s decision to pull its goalkeeper. With the opposing cage left unattended, Pieretti launched the ball across the length of the pool, securing his first career goal and bringing the score to 12-6. 

Long Beach managed two additional goals in the closing minutes, but it was a futile effort. A final contribution from senior utility player Landon Lassahn secured the Gauchos’ 13-8 victory. 

It was an extraordinary conclusion to an already impressive individual performance. Pieretti finished with nine saves and eight goals allowed, whilst Canepa led the Gauchos offensively with four goals and one assist. D’Ambrosia contributed three goals, with Genc adding one goal and two assists. 

UCSB’s defensive superiority was equally apparent in the final statistics. The Gauchos recorded 11 steals compared with Long Beach’s five, whilst attempting 32 shots to the Beach’s 25. Santa Barbara also won all four opening sprints, consistently establishing possession and controlling the pace of play. 

The win marked another significant achievement for the Santa Barbara squad, finding its rhythm as conference competition intensifies. Having defeated two top-10 opponents in consecutive weekends, the Gauchos will look to maintain their momentum when they travel to face UC Irvine on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m.