LBSU graduate defender Jason O’Donnell extends out of the pool to take the shot in The Beach’s 11-4 victory over UC Davis at the LBCC Aquatics Center on Saturday, Nov. 8. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current

No. 9 Long Beach State men’s water polo dominated conference rival No. 8 UC Davis 11-4 in a battle for the regular season title in the Big West on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Long Beach City College Aquatics Center.

With the win, LBSU (15-8) finished conference play with a perfect 5-0 record and secured the first seed in the Big West Tournament, starting on Nov. 21. 

LBSU had an all-around balanced performance in the match with eight different scorers, and no player with more than two goals.

The Beach outplayed the Aggies (12-12) on both sides with a shooting percentage of .478, and held the Aggies to a .133 shooting percentage.

“We’re aspiring to play our best water polo,” LBSU head coach Gavin Arroyo said. “As we’re getting closer to the end of the season, for us to get a win like today, that’s really important for morale.”

Sophomore goalie Joe Jenness rounded out The Beach’s defensive performance with 12 saves.

“Towards the beginning of the season, we knew we had the guys to beat this team 11-4,” Jenness said. “Now that we’ve all been working together and on the same page, it’s been easy for us.”

The Beach set the tone early with a 4-1 lead in the first period.

LBSU junior attacker Caleb Francisco opened the scoring for The Beach at the 6:18 mark, assisted by sophomore utility Artur Diaz.

Francisco’s second goal of the game gave The Beach a 2-0 lead.

LBSU junior attacker Caleb Francisco scored the first two goals of The Beach’s 11-4 win over the Aggies on Saturday, Nov. 8. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current

Sophomore attacker Konstantinos Kapragkos and senior attacker Sandro Pueyo Caballero added two more goals for LBSU on penalty shots.

However, UC Davis scored three unanswered goals at the beginning of the second period to cut the lead to 4-3.

The Beach fired back with three unanswered goals of their own from senior center Alec Johnson, sophomore center and reigning Big West Player of the Year Gabi Acosta and graduate defender Jason O’Donnell to extend the lead to 7-3 at halftime.

Aggies sophomore utility Mateo Ruano struck first in the third period, assisted by junior attacker Timothy Kerr to cut the lead to 7-4.

Answering right back, LBSU sophomore attacker Oliver Sudar found Acosta in front of the net with a perfectly placed pass from the right corner for another LBSU goal, tallying yet another score to Acosta’s tally of 61 goals on the season. 

LBSU senior attacker Sandro Pueyo Caballero attempts a pass over a UC Davis defender in The Beach’s No. 1 seed clinching victory on Saturday, Nov. 8. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current

With just one game remaining to the regular season, Acosta only trails Cal State Fullerton junior utility Andrew Barnuevo with 62 for the conference lead. 

“[Sudar] is a really good lefty that passes me a lot of balls and look a lot for me,” Acosta said. “He is a really amazing player.”

The Beach went on a 3-0 run to extend the lead to 10-4 before the end of the third period, powered by goals from sophomore center Corbin Stanley and O’Donnell’s second strike of the game.

Sophomore attacker Harper Stewart added The Beach’s final goal in the fourth period, assisted by Francisco, shutting the door on the Aggies in an 11-4 victory.

With the win to secure first seed in the Big West playoffs, LBSU is now locked into a first-round bye in the Big West Tournament. 

“Job’s not finished,” Jenness said. “I think we just need to come in every day with the same mentality of being all on the same page and kick everyone’s a**.”