Championship Central | Box Score | UCD Presser | Photo Gallery



IRVINE, Calif. — Winning in wire-to-wire fashion, No. 3 seed UC Davis upended top-seeded Long Beach State, 12-11, on Sunday at the Anteater Aquatics Complex to earn the 2025 Big West Men's Water Polo Championship crown. 

This triumph not only marked UC Davis' first Big West men's water polo title but also earned them The Big West's automatic qualification into the bracket of the 2025 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship. The Aggies enter the national postseason with a record of 15-12, currently ranked eighth in the latest CWPA poll. UC Davis will be making their 10th all-time appearance in the national postseason, and a first since 2022.

UC Davis capitalized on power plays, scoring six goals with the man advantage, contributing significantly to their narrow win. Long Beach State mounted a late comeback, netting four goals in the final quarter, but fell just short as time expired. The win for the Aggies avenges the regular-season decision seen back on Nov. 8, an 11-4 contest in favor of the Beach that capped the conference slate for both teams and gave LBSU the regular-season crown.

Baxter Chelsom anchored the UC Davis defensive efforts in goal, recording eight saves in the finale to claim Championship Most Valuable Player honors. Chelsom finished the three-game postseason stretch with 28 total saves. 

UC Davis and LBSU engaged in a closely contested match, with the Aggies starting strong behind early goals from Thomas Kiesling and Thomas Marr. The Beach responded with scores by Caleb Francisco and Konstantinos Kapragkos, leveling the match. The Aggies then regained momentum, as Oriol Viñas and Kiesling scored late in the first quarter, pushing the lead to 4-2.

The second quarter saw both teams trading goals, with UC Davis maintaining a lead thanks to Colin Nicholls and Will Stryker's efforts. LBSU kept the pressure, with Gabi Acosta and Zalan Nagy finding the net. The third quarter was marked by back-and-forth scoring, with Viñas and Oleg Shatskikh contributing to UC Davis's tally, while Long Beach State's Corbin Stanley and Acosta answered back.

Entering the final quarter, UC Davis held a slender advantage. Despite a strong push from the Beach, including goals by Kapragkos and Francisco, the Aggies secured the win as Shatskikh and Andrew Hitchcock scored crucial goals to maintain the lead. 

The Aggies outshot the Beach by a narrow 31-28 count in the contest. All told, UC Davis converted six power-play opportunities in eight tries, while LBSU managed three in their eight opportunities, proving to be the difference in the fiercely competitive and action-packed finale. 

Kiesling led UC Davis with three goals, achieving a perfect shooting percentage by converting all of his shots. Oriol Viñas was a key contributor, tallying two goals, two assists, and leading the team with four sprint wins, while recording two steals and a block. Marr made a significant impact with three assists and a goal, contributing to the team's playmaking efforts. Shatskikh added two goals and one assist, while also drawing two exclusions, providing a solid performance on both ends of the pool. 

For the Beach, sophomore Acosta led the effort with three goals on four shots, showcasing efficiency in scoring. Harper Stewart contributed two goals and two assists, with Francisco and Kapragkos also finding the net twice with LBSU goalkeeper Joseph Jenness making seven saves. The Big West regular-season champions cap the year at 17-9 and ranked seventh nationally in the latest listings.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Big West (@bigwestsports)