Long Beach State University
Occidental College
Men’s Water Polo Starts 2025 Campaign At The Triton Invite
8/28/2025 9:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
The Beach will play six games in three days to kick off the season.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – No. 6 Long Beach State looks to repeat the success of last season, when the team captured the Big West Championship and made its third NCAA Championship appearance in five years. The Beach will start their 2025 campaign at the Triton Invite, taking on six opponents in the three-day tournament hosted by UC San Diego.
On Friday, Long Beach State will face Occidental at 9:50 a.m. and La Verne at 2:50 p.m. to open the weekend. Saturday will be the first time the Beach meets a ranked opponent as they face No. 10 San Jose State at 9:20 a.m., followed by a matchup against George Washington at 1:50 p.m. The last day of the tournament will feature two more games, as LBSU faces Pomona-Pitzer at 9:50 a.m. and No. 20 Navy at 1:50 p.m. to wrap up the first weekend of the season.
The most anticipated match of the weekend is the clash against the Spartans. SJSU was picked to finish first in the WCC, while Long Beach State was picked first in the Big West Conference. The last time both teams met was in the 2022 season, when both schools were still part of the Golden Coast Conference. On that occasion, the Beach earned a 13-10 road victory.
Following last season's success, sophomore Gabi Acosta looks to make another big impact in his second year at the Beach. The Barcelona native earned Second Team All-America honors, as well as being named Big West Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Acosta led the team on offense with 64 goals.
Another key player is junior Caleb Francisco, who in his second year at the Beach had a major impact on the title campaign. Francisco finished the season with 49 goals, including a six-goal game against UC Santa Barbara in the opening round of the Big West Championship.
The Beach welcomes seven new faces to the roster this year. Transfer duo from California Baptist, utility Toring Stanley and goalkeeper William Whitstone, look to make an immediate impact by bringing experience and intensity to the team. Freshman Zalán Nagy is another key addition to the roster, as the Hungarian arrives with years of experience on his junior national team.
More information about the Triton Invite can be found at: https://ucsdtritons.com/sports/2025/8/8/2025-triton-invitational.aspx.
