MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary’s men’s water polo team is back in action this week at the BW Invitational with matches against No. 9 San Jose State and a rematch against No. 13 UC Santa Barbara. The Gaels will face the Gauchos for the second time this season after the two teams previously met in Saint Mary’s inaugural game at the Triton Invitational. Saint Mary’s battled UC Santa Barbara closely in that first meeting, falling 16-14, and will look to draw on the experience gained throughout the opening weeks of the season when the two teams meet again.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
No. 20 Saint Mary’s Gaels vs. No. 9 San Jose State Spartans
Saturday, October 3 at 12:00 p.m.
Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center – San Jose, Calif.
LIVE STATS
No. 20 Saint Mary’s Gaels vs. No. 13 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Saturday, October 3 at 3:00 p.m.
Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center – San Jose, Calif.
LIVE STATS
GAELS OUTLOOK
Bigara Shines in Berkeley…
The Gaels faced another tough test in their matchup with No. 4 Cal last week, with Noah Bigara and Mason Black leading the offense with three goals apiece. Bigara recorded his second consecutive hat trick and has now scored nine goals over his last four matches to bring his season total to 15. One of his three goals against the Golden Bears also earned national attention, landing at No. 2 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays.
Depth on Display…
Saint Mary’s showcased its depth in Saturday’s 23-4 exhibition victory over Diablo Valley College, with 15 different Gaels finding the back of the net and 18 recording at least one point. Mateo McKay and Hugo Riley led with hat tricks, while all three Gael goalkeepers, Federico Castrucci, Griffin Lagsdin, and Jake Nielsen, saw action in the win. The all-around team effort gave the Gaels an opportunity to prepare across the roster ahead of a big week against two nationally ranked opponents.
ABOUT THE SPARTANS
No. 9 San Jose State enters the BW Invitational with a 6-7 record through the opening weeks of the season. The Spartans won their last match, picking up a 20-10 victory over UC Merced after dropping four straight against Stanford, UC Irvine, Long Beach State, and USC.
San Jose State has captured two of the last three WCC Championships, winning the title in 2023 and 2025 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament in both seasons. Saturday’s matchup will also mark a return to San Jose for Saint Mary’s assistant coach Jamie Steingraf, who was a member of the Spartans’ 2023 WCC Championship and NCAA Tournament team.
ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
No. 13 UC Santa Barbara is currently 16-8 on the season and is riding a four-game winning streak at the Rare Air Challenge. The Gauchos picked up victories over Occidental, Air Force, Wagner, and Austin College. Freshman attacker Luigi Canepa leads the charge for UC Santa Barbara with 59 goals on the season.
Saturday will mark the second meeting between the Gaels and Gauchos this season after UC Santa Barbara earned a narrow 16-14 victory in Saint Mary’s inaugural game at the Triton Invitational.
The Gaels will kick off the action on Saturday, October 3 at 12:00 p.m. against the Spartans before taking on the Gauchos at 3:00 p.m.
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