‘Eaters Journey to No. 1 UCLA, Host No. 2 USC This Week

No. 8 UC Irvine (6-0) at 

No. 1 UCLA (7-0)

Date: Friday, Sept. 12
Time: 12 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Spieker Aquatics Center – Los Angeles, Calif.
Live Stats | Watch

No. 2 USC (6-0) at

No. 8 UC Irvine (6-0)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 13

Time: 1 p.m. (PDT)

Location: Anteater Aquatics Complex – Irvine, Calif.

Live Stats

IRVINE, Calif. – No. 8 UC Irvine males’s water polo is about to face the top-two ranked groups within the nation this week. The Anteaters begin with a visit to No. 1 UCLA for a 12 p.m. recreation on Friday, Sept. 12. They then return dwelling to host No. 2 USC at Anteater Aquatics Complex at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13.

ANTEATER TIDBITS

• The ‘Eaters are out to a 6-0 begin for the primary time for the reason that 2014 season.

• The Anteaters have scored 14+ objectives in all six video games (16.3 gpg).

• Defensively, UCI has allowed eight objectives or much less in every of its final 4 outings.

• UC Irvine gained back-to-back Big West common season titles in 2023 and 2024.

• The ‘Eaters are 9-1 in convention throughout that stretch, together with an ideal 5-0 mark final yr.

• They additionally claimed the Big West Championship title and made their first NCAA look in 30 years in 2023.

• UCI returns almost 80% of its scoring from a 2024 squad that netted a single-season faculty document 400 objectives.

SCOUTING THE BRUINS

Top-ranked and defending nationwide champion UCLA improved to 7-0 after a dominant weekend on the Princeton Invitational in New Jersey. The Bruins averaged 20.5 objectives per recreation of their 4 wins. Their closest contest was a 16-9 victory over No. 4 Fordham. UCLA has 4 gamers in double digits within the scoring column, led by Ryder Dodd with a team-best 17 tallies. Dodd was the 2024 Cutino Award Winner and ACWPC Player of the Year. He was additionally a member of the U.S. Olympic Team that gained Bronze on the 2024 Paris Games. Nate Tauscher has stepped into the beginning goalkeeper position, notching 53 saves and a 5.68 objectives in opposition to common.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS

No. 2 USC will convey a 6-0 document to Irvine after defeating No. 7 Long Beach State and No. 12 Pepperdine final week. The Trojans, who’re the 2024 NCAA runners-up, are led by All-American Robert López Duart’s team-high 19 objectives. He has scored a number of objectives in all six video games. Bernard Herzer and Charles Mills have break up time within the cage, combining for 69 saves and a 9.50 objectives in opposition to common.

IN THE RANKINGS

UCI got here in at No. 8 within the newest Collegiate Water Polo Association’s rankings launched on September 10. The Anteaters have been ranked among the many top-10 in all three polls this season.

LAST TIME OUT

UC Irvine gained two video games final Saturday (Sept. 6) on the Inland Empire Classic. The Anteaters began the day with an 18-8 victory over Cal Lutheran, which was ranked sixth in Division III. The Kingsmen had been capable of preserve it shut, trailing by one at halftime and by three on the finish of the third quarter, however the ‘Eaters then got here alive, discovering the again of the cage eight instances within the ultimate eight minutes. Maddox McEwen led the assault with a recreation and career-high 4 objectives. Jack Stevens, Wyley Dale, Johann Thrall, and Ethan Spoon added two objectives apiece. Blake Borders made his UCI debut within the cage, totaling seven saves. In the nightcap, UC Irvine handed host and defending Division III nationwide champion Redlands a 14-7 defeat. Samuel Otta and Luka Krstic tied for the crew lead with three objectives every, whereas goalkeeper Zayd Mahmoud compiled six saves in his fifth begin of the season.

ON THE ATTACK

UC Irvine scored 14+ objectives in all six video games with a season-high 21 in a win over Concordia. The Anteaters, who’re averaging 16.3 objectives per contest, had 9 completely different gamers register at the very least one hat trick by way of the primary two weeks of the marketing campaign. Cole Francisco, who has discovered the again of the online in 5 of his six outings, is tops on the squad with 12 objectives. Luka Krstic (10) and Wyley Dale (10) have additionally reached double digits within the scoring column.

MINDING THE NET

Senior Zayd Mahmoud began 5 of UCI’s six video games this yr, logging 136 minutes within the cage. He has compiled 34 saves and a ten.35 objectives in opposition to common. Mahmoud stopped a season-high 9 photographs in opposition to Concordia on August 30. Junior Blake Borders earned the beginning in opposition to Cal Lutheran (Sept. 6), ending with seven saves. Redshirt freshman Vincent Vega additionally made his collegiate debut two weeks in the past, taking part in the second half vs. Cal State Fullerton the place he tallied 4 saves. Sophomore Nolan Cary added three saves in eight minutes of motion vs. CUI.

COLLEGIATE FIRSTS

Freshman Samuel Bowman scored his first collegiate objective with 1:35 left within the third quarter of a 21-7 victory over Concordia. Bowman struck once more one minute later to cap a seven-goal interval for the Anteaters. Sophomore Keegan McGann additionally had the primary multi-goal recreation of his collegiate profession with two tallies in a 15-8 win in opposition to Cal State Fullerton.

PRESEASON HONORS

Seniors Luka Krstic and Jack Stevens had been named to the eight-member Preseason All-Big West Team as voted on by the convention’s head coaches. Krstic is coming off a 2024 marketing campaign wherein he led the Anteaters with 80 factors on 52 objectives and 28 assists. He is a two-time All-American, two-time first-team All-Big West choice, and four-time Big West Player of the Week. Stevens completed with 30 objectives and 12 assists a yr in the past. He is a two-time All-Big West honoree.

BACK FOR MORE

The Anteaters welcome again three of their prime 4 scorers from final yr’s squad that set a single-season faculty document with 400 objectives. Junior Johann Thrall (54) and senior Luka Krstic (52) mixed for over 100 of these objectives, whereas sophomore Cole Francisco discovered the again of the online 29 instances in his first collegiate season. Krstic (First Team), Thrall (Second Team), Francisco (Honorable Mention & All-Freshman), Jack Stevens (Honorable Mention), and Ethan Spoon (All-Freshman) obtained all-conference honors in 2024.

HOME SWEET HOME

UCI is about to host the 2025 Big West Championships at Anteater Aquatics Complex, November 21-23. The convention match will make its strategy to Irvine after being held in La Jolla in 2023 and in Davis in 2024.

UP NEXT

UC Irvine heads again to UCLA’s Spieker Aquatics Center for the MPSF Invitational, Sept. 19-21.