No. 2 UCLA Uses 6-0 Run to Pound the Beach, 15-9

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LOS ANGELES -- No. 2 UCLA (5-0) used a decisive 6-0 scoring run that stretched the third and fourth quarters to pound Long Beach State, 15-9, in the Bruins' home opener on Friday night at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA improved to 104-21-1 in the series history against the Beach.

The Bruins had eight different players score in the game, which included five with multiple scores, paced by junior Makoto Kenney's game-high four goals. Senior Gabe Discipulo, freshman Gray Carson, sophomore Chase Dodd, and redshirt junior Giorgio Alessandria each chipped in two goals for the Bruins.

Senior Bernardo Maurizi started in the cage and went the distance, tallying nine saves while allowing nine goals.

Rafael Real Vergara led the Beach with two goals (on 10 shots) and Andrej Bosanac had six saves while surrendering 15 goals to UCLA.

PERIOD ONE
> Both teams battled to a 3-3 tie at the end of the first period.
> Kenney opened the scoring (7:27) and after LBSU got an equalizer, Discipulo (4:15) and Carson (3:25) scored back-to-back to put UCLA up 3-1.
> The Beach scored the last two goals of the second quarter.

PERIOD TWO
> The Bruins won the second period, 4-3, to take a 7-6 lead into the break.
> Discipulo opened the scoring (6:14) to put the Bruins back in front.
> Long Beach State scored two consecutive power play goals (5:07 and 3:33) to take its only lead of the game at 5-4.
> After Alessandria tied the game (2:11), freshman Noah Rowe put the Bruins back in front at 6-5 (0:43).
> LBSU tied the game at 6-6 with a power play goal (0:43), but Kennedy answered with a power play goal at the buzzer (0:01) to put the Bruins back in front.
 
PERIOD THREE
> The Bruins won the third quarter, 3-2, to take a 10-8 lead into the final period.
> Dodd scored the first goal of the third (7:02) to push the lead to 8-6.
> But LBSU tied the game with back-to-back scores (6:36 and 3:52).
> UCLA imposed its will from then on, dominating the final 10 minutes of the game.
> Dodd scored his second (2:08) to put UCLA back in the lead and then Kenney completed his hat trick (0:56) to end the scoring in the third period.

PERIOD FOUR
> UCLA dominated the fourth quarter, 5-1, to provide the 15-9 final.
> Alessandria opened the scoring in the final stanza (7:23) with a goal at even strength, followed by a penalty shot conversion from redshirt sophomore Gianpiero Di Martire (6:51).
> A second goal from Carson on a power play (5:45) was the Bruins' fifth consecutive to push the lead to 13-8.
> Kenney added his fourth on another power play (1:26) to extend the lead to 14-8.
> After a goal from the Beach (0:09), the Bruins beat the buzzer again with another power play goal (0:01), this time from super senior Jake Cavano, which ended the scoring in the game.

UP NEXT
The Bruins hit the road to face No. 12 UC Irvine on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2:00 p.m. PT at Anteater Aquatics Complex.

No. 7 Long Beach State at No. 2 UCLA (Non-Conference Game)

6x5 - UCLA - 4/13 - LBSU - 4/12
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - LBSU - 0/0

LBSU Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 2, Konstantinos Koulouris 1, Evan Cain 1, Connor Manion 1, Garrett Zaan 1, Matt Morris 1, Raul Morales 1, Aleksandar Timotijevic 1
LBSU Saves: Andrej Bosanac 6

UCLA Goals: Makoto Kenney 4, Gabe Discipulo 2, Gray Carson 2, Chase Dodd 2, Giorgio Alessandria 2, Jake Cavano 1, Gianpiero Di Martire 1, Noah Rowe 1, 
UCLA Saves: Bernardo Maurizi 9