The top-ranked Bruins began their 2024 season in dominant fashion, sailing through the Triton Invitational on an undefeated ship.

No. 1 UCLA men’s water polo (4-0) claimed victories over No. 11 UC Santa Barbara (3-1), Concordia University Irvine (0-4), RV Pomona-Pitzer (0-4) and No. 12 UC San Diego (3-1) at Canyonview Aquatic Center to kick off its preseason in La Jolla.

Gameplay opened for the Bruins with a 13-7 victory over the Gauchos. Although Santa Barbara was first to dent the scoresheet, UCLA quickly found its rhythm.

Freshmen attacker Ryder Dodd and utility Bode Brinkema led the charge, netting three and two goals, respectively, while graduate student goalkeeper Garret Griggs proved a stalwart in the cage with 10 saves.

Eight Bruins contributed to the scoreboard in a balanced attack, extending the team’s lead throughout the duel. UCLA clung to a 7-3 cushion at halftime, controlling its tempo to secure its 19th straight victory over Santa Barbara.

“From a standpoint of trying to get everybody on the same page quickly, we grew from game to game,” said coach Adam Wright. “I also think the weekend gave us a lot of information about how we need to grow and change our approach for every game. You’re playing all different levels of teams, but at the end of the day, we have to be focused.”

An offensive barrage was the theme of UCLA’s second affair, cruising to a 26-7 landslide win. The Bruins raced out to a commanding lead by the end of the first quarter and were comfortably up 16-2 at the half.

Dodd and graduate student center defender Aaron Voggenthaler – both in their inaugural seasons as Bruins – contributed four goals apiece. Simultaneously, returning sophomores utility Ben Liechty and attacker Wade Sherlock notched hat tricks as UCLA overwhelmed Concordia’s defense.

Voggenthaler – a Poway, California, local – said it was meaningful to earn a triumphant start to the season.

“It definitely meant a lot to me to start this season out in my hometown,” Vogenthaler said. “I’ve always admired UCLA’s program, so it’s a great honor to be part of this program and contribute.”

The defensive effort was equally dominant against the Eagles, with redshirt freshman goalkeeper Nate Tauscher stepping in for the remainder of the match after Griggs pitched a shutout first quarter.

In the team’s 24-4 victory over RV-Pomona Pitzer, graduate student center defender Nico Tierney notched a career-high five goals, while Dodd contributed eight points, three goals and five assists.

Twelve Bruins found the back of the net before capping off a 24-4 victory with a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter.

“It’s great to see that all of us are having opportunities to score in those games. It’s great for all of us, for our confidence, for us playing as a team to work on the little things,” Brinkema said. “It’s just good to keep going even when we’re up to give every team our best.”

In trend with its tournament campaign, UCLA faced minimal hiccups in its 15-7 win over UCSD before the sun set on Canyonview Aquatic Center.

Freshman utility Peter Castillo completed his first collegiate hat trick late in the fourth quarter, with Dodd, Voggenthaler, Liechty and Brinkema each adding two goals of their own.

“For us, the biggest thing is focusing on the things we’ve been working on over the preseason,” Wright said. “Those kinds of games (with multiple players scoring) are great because it reinforces repetitions that we need and lets us hone in on the things we need to focus on.”