CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | BOX SCORE | LBSU PRESSER

DAVIS, Calif. - No. 5 seed Long Beach State emerged victorious over regular-season champion and top-seeded UC Irvine with a final score of 15-13 in Saturday's semifinal matchup in the 2024 Big West Men's Water Polo Championship at the Schaal Aquatics Center.

With the victory, Long Beach State (18-10) advances to the Championship final to take on the winner of No. 2 seed UC San Diego and third-seeded UC Davis. Meanwhile, UCI moves to 18-8 on the year.

Long Beach State opened the scoring at 7:38 in the first period with a goal from Marc Frigola, assisted by Itai Roth. The Anteaters equalized at 4:00 with a power play goal by Tyler Padua. The first period saw a back-and-forth exchange with the Beach leading 4-3 at the buzzer, after a last-second goal by Bruno Chiappini. In the second period, Chiappini scored twice more for the Beach, contributing to a 9-6 lead by halftime.

The third period featured a streak of consecutive goals by the Beach, extending their lead before UCI responded, narrowing the gap to 12-10 by the end of the period. In the final frame, UCI's Ethan Shipman scored twice, but Long Beach State was able to maintain the advantage, ultimately securing a 15-13 victory.

Long Beach State's Caleb Francisco made a significant impact with two goals scored in the match, complemented by defensive contributions of two blocks and three exclusions drawn. Gabi Acosta was another key player, leading the team with three goals on six attempts, alongside two steals. Chiappini matched Acosta in goals, also scoring three times and adding an assist to the tally. Aaron Wilson was strong in goal, recording seven saves to help anchor the defense to the victory.

Shipman led the Anteaters with four goals and providing three assists. Johann Thrall also made a significant impact, matching Shipman's four goals. Jack Stevens contributed with three goals and one assist, taking a team-high 10 shots. In goal, Jacob Pyle made 11 saves for UCI in the defeat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Big West (@bigwestsports)