In the home opener, No. 7 Long Beach State fell to No. 10 UC San Diego, 12-10, Thursday at the 49er Campus Pool.
The 49ers, who had previously been 2-0 against the Tritons, played a tight first quarter. Senior and leading scorer Jeff Greenwood scored the first goal 53 seconds into the match, but two consecutive offensive foul calls against LBSU resulted in UCSD staying on the offensive press.
Opportunities were missed by the 49ers and it was the Tritons who had the 3-2 lead at the end of the quarter.
The second and third quarter ultimately went the way of the first, despite a 5-5 tie at the half and a one-goal LBSU lead in the third quarter.
The 49ers (7-6) saw their chance to even up the game in the final quarter, trailing the Tritons by a goal with five minutes remaining, but the tying goal never came.
Instead UCSD’s Adnan Jerkovic powered in the last goal of the game with three minutes left. The loss of possessions hurt LBSU, as did holes in the defense.
Steven Donohoe and Jeff Hunt combine for seven goals to lead the Tritons’ offense. Greenwood and senior Jake Kinne scored three goals apiece to lead the 49ers. LBSU goalkeeper Derek Wiebe-Bailey made nine saves in the cage.
In the end, there were not enough conversions and an occasional unprotected cage.
Greenwood said, “We gave too many opportunities . . . [having a man] open in front of the cage is unacceptable for our team. [We] have to play as a whole” in order to click and fulfill an admirable goal to reach the top-four in the nation.
Senior Jake Kinne acknowledged the “mental breakdowns” but said the team had to be “accountable for their responsibilities.”
The 49ers return to action Saturday against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena at 4 p.m.