CWPA National Preseason Poll
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine, ranked sixth in the 2012 Collegiate Water Polo Association national and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation coaches' preseason polls, hosts the UCI Invitational Saturday at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.
The invitational is a combination of games and four-quarter scrimmages. Joining the host 'Eaters are Long Beach State, Stanford, UC San Diego, Chapman and Redlands.
UCI opens the invitational with a game against Chapman at 9:00 a.m. Saturday's complete schedule:
Saturday, September 1
9:00 a.m. – UC Irvine 16, Chapman 8 (game)
10:15 a.m. – Long Beach State 17, Redlands 5 (game)
11:30 a.m. – Stanford vs. UC San Diego (scrimmage)
12:30 p.m. – Long Beach State 16, Chapman 8 (game)
1:45 p.m. – UC Irvine 18, Redlands 7 (game)
3:00 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. Stanford (scrimmage)
4:00 p.m. – UC Irvine vs. UC San Diego (scrimmage)
5:00 p.m. – Chapman 11, Redlands 9 (game)
6:15 p.m. – Long Beach State vs. UC San Diego (scrimmage)
7:15 p.m. – UC Irvine vs. Stanford (scrimmage)
ADMISSION: Is free.
PARKING ADVISORY: Please plan accordingly as the Mesa Parking Structure will be heavily impacted by the UCI women's volleyball tournament in the Bren Center and a large youth soccer tournament on the athletic fields.
UCI QUICK HITS
● Marc Hunt is in his eighth season as UCI's head coach, leading the 'Eaters to a top-five final national ranking each of the last three years and five of the past seven.
● UCI was 17-12 overall last season and placed fifth in the MPSF Tournament, defeating Pacific, 10-9, in sudden-victory overtime in the fifth-place game.
● Junior driver Mitch Wise earned All-America third-team honors and second team All-MPSF recognition last season when he scored 70 goals and ranked second in the MPSF with an average of 2.41 goals per game. He has 100 goals in two seasons with the Anteaters.
● Other players returning who recorded double-digit goals last season are senior driver Nick Pfeil (42 goals), sophomores Jacob Mourer (26) and Alan Robertson (21), seniors Brian Pickford (19) and Winston Newland (18), and sophomore Kyle Kittlitz (10).
● Returning in goal for UCI are sophomore Michael Bailey (85 saves in 14 games) and junior Alex Kazmier (60 saves in 10 games).
● A top newcomer for the Anteaters is Bojan Hrlec, a transfer from West Valley College and a member of the Croatian Junior National Team.
● The 'Eaters host UC Davis a week from Friday (Sept. 7) at 7:00 p.m.
● UCI alums Ryan Bailey, Jeff Powers and Tim Hutten competed for the U.S. Olympic team at the London Games this summer.
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