LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- Ninth-ranked UC Irvine fell at No. 2 USC, 18-7, Saturday in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener for both teams at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles.

The Trojans (13-1, 1-0 MPSF) scored the game's first seven goals and led 9-2 at halftime.

Mitch Wise and Jacob Mourer scored three goals each for the 'Eaters (10-3, 0-1).  Two of Wise's goals came on penalty shots.  Kyle Trush scored UCI's other goal in the fourth quarter.

Mace Rapsey led USC with five goals while Kostas Genidounias and Nikola Vavic added four apiece.

"Defensively, we could not follow our game plan," UCI head coach Marc Hunt said.  "We came out flat and couldn't execute.  We have a lot of work to do back home."

The UCI Invitational is next Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 12-13) at the Anteater Aquatics Complex and Corona del Mar High School.  Eight games will be played daily at each site beginning at 8:00 a.m.

The 'Eaters play their first home game of the season Saturday at 9:25 a.m. against Pepperdine at UCI.


UC Irvine                    0-2-3-2 --- 7
USC                            5-4-6-3 --- 18

UCI:  Mitch Wise 3, Jacob Mourer 3, Kyle Trush.

USC:  Mace Rapsey 5, Kostas Genidounias 4, Nikola Vavic 4, Jeremy Davie, Rex Butler, Marc Vonderweidt, Ivan Kustic, Chase Watson.

Saves:  Michael Bailey (UCI) 8, Alex Kazmier (UCI) 3;  James Clark (USC) 11.

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