‘Eaters Host No. 13 Princeton, Journey to No. 12 UCSB This Week

IRVINE, Calif. – No. 19 UC Irvine males’s water polo is again at residence on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m., as they host No. 13 Princeton at Anteater Aquatics Complex. The ‘Eaters then head to No. 12 UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Oct. 18, for a Big West match up at 12 p.m. at Dos Pueblos High School. 

ANTEATER TIDBITS

• UCI moved to 12-7 on the season and 0-1 in Big West play after falling  to No. 9 UC Davis, 12-15, on Oct. 10 .

• The ‘Eaters have dropped their final two after occurring their second win streak of 5 or extra video games this season.

• UC Irvine’s loss to UCD is their first convention defeat since Oct. 13, 2023, in a September 11 determination towards Long Beach State.

• Gage Verdegaal notched his third hat trick of the season towards the Aggies.

• Johann Thrall netted 4 towards UCD, bringing his season whole to 37 and making him the main scorer for the ‘Eaters.

• The ‘Eaters gained back-to-back Big West common season titles in 2023 and 2024.

• The Anteaters are 9-1 in convention throughout that stretch, together with an ideal 5-0 mark final 12 months.

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

• UCI returns practically 80% of its scoring from a 2024 squad that netted a single-season college report 400 targets.

IN THE RANKINGS

UCI got here in at No. 19 within the newest Collegiate Water Polo Association rankings launched on October 8. The Anteaters drop out of the highest 15 for the primary time this season. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

No. 13 Princeton has dropped its final three video games to maneuver to 14-6 on the season. The Tigers dropped to Harvard, 12-13, on Oct. 5, earlier than falling 10-23 to No.1 UCLA on Oct. 11. Princeton dropped to No. 8 Pepperdine, 12-15, on Oct. 12, and they’ll face No. 3 USC on Tuesday, Oct. 14, earlier than dealing with the ‘Eaters. Senior Logan McCarroll leads the Tigers with 34 targets this season, adopted carefully by Junior Finn LeSieur with 33 tallies. 

SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS

No. 12 UC Santa Barbara has gained two of its final three video games, every determined by only one aim. The Gauchos fell to No. 11 LMU, 9-10, on Oct. 4, earlier than finishing the 13-12 upset of No. 6 San Jose State later that very same day. UCSB gained their first Big West match up of the season, 11-10, towards No. 6 UC San Diego on Oct. 11. Sophomore Danilo Dragovic leads the Gauchos with 51 targets on the season, adopted by Redshirt Senior Brock Zamanian with 42 tallies. 

LAST TIME OUT

UC Irvine dropped their first Big West match of the season, 12-15, to No. 9 UC Davis on Friday, Oct. 10, at Anteater Aquatics Complex. Junior Johann Thrall led the ‘Eaters with 4 targets, bringing his season whole to 37, and making him the main scorer for UCI. Junior Gage Verdegaal netted his third hat trick of the season whereas junior Wyley Dale added two tallies for the Anteaters. 

ON THE ATTACK

UC Irvine has scored 11+ targets in 17 of its 19 outings. The Anteaters’ two single-digit aim video games this 12 months got here towards No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 USC. The ‘Eaters, who’re averaging 14.8 targets per contest, have six gamers with 20+ targets on the season. Johann Thrall leads the squad with 37 tallies on the 12 months. Luka Krstic is UCI’s second-leading scorer with 34, adopted by Wyley Dale (29), Ethan Spoon (25), Jack Stevens (23), and Cole Francisco (23). Thrall’s four-goal sport boosts him to the main scorer place. Dale’s two-goal displaying places him only one tally away from hitting the 30-goal mark for the primary time in his profession. Spoon’s aim towards the Aggies places him one away from tying his career-high of 26 tallies. 

MINDING THE NET

Senior goalkeeper Zayd Mahmoud began 14 of UCI’s 19 video games this 12 months, logging over 390 minutes within the cage. He has compiled 111 saves and a 12.07 targets towards common. Mahmoud stopped a season-high 12 photographs vs. No. 19 CMS on Oct. 3. Junior Blake Borders earned the beginning towards Cal Lutheran (Sept. 6) and Biola (Sept. 27), ending with seven and 9 saves. Redshirt freshman Vincent Vega bought the nod vs. UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 20) and Occidental (Sept. 27), logging 9 saves towards the Tigers. Redshirt Sophomore Nolan Cary bought his first begin towards Concordia and stopped a season-best 11 photographs. 

COLLEGIATE FIRSTS

Freshman Dylan Rosmann recorded his first multi-goal sport in a 16-7 win over Biola (Sept. 27). Freshman Samuel Bowman scored his first collegiate aim 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. Rosmann additionally linked for his first profession aim in a 13-12 win over UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 20). Sophomore Keegan McGann had the primary multi-goal sport of his collegiate profession with two tallies towards Cal State Fullerton, whereas sophomore Maddox McEwen netted a career-high 4 targets vs. Cal Lutheran. 

WEEKLY ACCOLADES

Ethan Spoon was named the Big West Player of the Week for the primary time in his profession, on Oct. 1. Spoon recorded 10 targets on the Lancer Joust and netted a career-high six towards Occidental. His career-best efficiency led the ‘Eaters to a season-high 23 targets towards the Tigers. Luka Krstic was named the Big West Player of the Week for the primary time this season, and fifth time in his profession, on Sept. 17. Krstic had a pair of multi-goal video games towards the top-two ranked groups within the nation, ending with two at No. 1 UCLA and three vs. No. 2 USC. He was the one Anteater to search out the again of the online a number of instances towards the Trojans. 

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 through which he led the Anteaters with 80 factors on 52 targets and 28 assists. He is a two-time All-American and first-team All-Big West choice. Stevens completed with 30 targets and 12 assists a 12 months in the past. He is a two-time All-Big West honoree. As a workforce, UCI was picked to complete third within the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. The ‘Eaters acquired 18 factors to return in behind Long Beach State (29) and UC San Diego (20).

ALL-BIG WEST RETURNERS

The Anteaters return 5 All-Big West honorees from a 2024 squad that gained their second-straight regular-season title. Luka Krstic was named to the primary workforce, and Johann Thrall garnered second-team distinction. Cole Francisco and Jack Stevens had been each honorable point out choices, whereas Francisco and Ethan Spoon made the All-Freshman Team.

STORIED HISTORY

UC Irvine males’s water polo is in its sixtieth 12 months as a program, and 59th season of competitors (2020 season canceled). Since 1965, the Anteaters have put collectively 17 seasons with 20 or extra wins, together with an ideal 30-0 marketing campaign in 1982 once they gained the second of their three NCAA Championships (1970, 1982, 1988). The ‘Eaters, who earned a spot in every of the primary 10 NCAA tournaments, have made 22 postseason appearances.

HOME SWEET HOME

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