No. 12 UC San Diego (9-12, 6-1 WWPA) at
No. 6 UC Irvine (12-8, 3-1 GCC)
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 8
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Anteater Aquatics Complex - Irvine, Calif.

No. 7 Long Beach State (12-11, 2-2 GCC) at
No. 6 UC Irvine (12-8, 3-1 GCC)
Date: Friday, Nov. 10
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Anteater Aquatics Complex - Irvine, Calif.

THIS WEEK
The sixth-ranked UC Irvine men's water polo team wraps up the regular season with a pair of home games this week, starting with a non-conference showdown against UC San Diego on Wednesday, Nov. 8. UCI is then back in action two days later, taking on Golden Coast Conference foe Long Beach State on Friday, Nov. 10. First sprint for both matches will be at 7 p.m. at Anteater Aquatics Complex.

The 'Eaters will honor their seven seniors - Brendan Duffy, Antoine Lena, Matej Matijevic, Lovre Milos, Robby Stiefel, Kyle Trush and Ryan Warde - prior to Friday's regular-season finale.
 
GCC STANDINGS
Heading into the final week of the regular season, UC Irvine is second in the GCC standings with a 3-1 record. Pacific leads the six-team conference with a 4-0 mark, while Pepperdine and Long Beach State are tied for third at 2-2.
 
SCOUTING THE TRITONS
No. 12 UC San Diego (9-12, 6-1 WWPA) is coming off a 15-12 loss to UC Davis. Senior Arman Momdzhyan and freshman Connor Turnbow-Lindenstadt lead the Tritons with 53 and 47 goals, respectively. Junior goalkeeper Sam Thompson has anchored the defense with 175 saves.
 
UC Irvine is 5-5 in its last 10 meetings with UC San Diego. The 'Eaters have defeated UCSD twice this year with a 13-2 victory at the Triton Invitational and a 12-7 triumph at the GCC vs. WWPA Challenge Cup in Malibu. Lovre Milos led the Anteaters in both games, totaling six goals over the two contests.
 
A GLANCE AT LBSU
No. 7 Long Beach State improved to 12-11 overall and 2-2 in GCC action with a 10-9 win over San Jose State last Friday. Austin Stewart has paced the Beach with 40 goals, while Thomas Freeman has seen a majority of the playing time in front of the cage where he has accumulated 99 saves.
 
UC Irvine is 3-7 in its last 10 meetings with LBSU, and eight of those games were decided by three goals or less. The two teams squared off earlier this year at the Mountain Pacific Invitational where the 49ers pulled out a 12-7 victory. Lovre Milos and Antoine Lena paced UCI with two goals each.
 
ANTEATER GIVEAWAYS
Thanks to the generous donation of a UC Irvine booster, the fan experience at home games will be bolstered by four premier promotional giveaways. The final giveaway is scheduled for this Wednesday, Nov. 8, with a snapback hat. Food will also be available to the first 200 fans in attendance at the Nov. 10 contest. All home games are complimentary, but fans are required to register online for the promotional items. Pre-registration does not guarantee fans an item and/or food, as they will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to those who have pre-registered.
 
GCC TOURNAMENT COMING TO IRVINE
UC Irvine is set to host the 2017 Golden Coast Conference Tournament from Nov. 17-19, at Anteater Aquatics Complex. Pepperdine defeated Pacific in the championship game of last year's first-ever GCC Tournament in Stockton. The conference, which includes UCI, Long Beach State, Pacific, Pepperdine, San Jose State and UC Santa Barbara was formed in 2016.
 
STAT LEADERS
As of Nov. 6, Lovre Milos ranked third in the Golden Coast Conference with 57 goals, and Fynn Schuetze was ninth (36). Matej Matijevic also ranked second with 266 saves.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Bryant Joudrie scored the game-winner with four seconds remaining in overtime to lift No. 6 UC Irvine to a 6-5 victory over No. 8 Pepperdine at the Anteaters Aquatics Complex last Friday. The win gave the 'Eaters sole possession of second place in the GCC standings. Lovre Milos and Robby Stiefel had a team-best two goals each during regulation, while goalkeeper Matej Matijevic racked up 17 saves.
 
LENA COLLECTS WEEKLY HONORS
Senior Antoine Lena was named both the Golden Coast Conference Player of the Week and the D1 Men's Water Polo HERO of the Week following his game-winner in UC Irvine's 9-8 victory over top-ranked UCLA on Sept. 30. With the score knotted at 8-8 in the final minutes of regulation, Lena came up big for the 'Eaters, firing to the near side of the cage for the go-ahead goal with 39 seconds on the clock. The native of Marseille, France, finished the afternoon with a season-high three goals, including two in the fourth period. It was the first GCC Player of the Week award for Lena and the Anteaters this season.
 
NEWS AND NOTES
The 'Eaters were sixth in the CWPA Top-20 Poll (as of Nov. 1), and came in at No. 7 in the latest USA Water Polo National Collegiate Rankings.
 
Senior Lovre Milos has led UC Irvine in scoring in 13 of the team's 20 games. He has netted at least four goals on eight occasions, including at Cal Baptist where he scored a season-high seven. Milos is tops on the team with 57 goals, 21 assists and 33 steals.
 
Senior goalkeeper Matej Matijevic has started every game, totaling 266 saves in 618 minutes played. He has double-digit saves in 17 outings, and matched his career high of 18 three times this year, most recently in a 13-4 win against San Jose State (Oct. 6).
 
Freshman Fynn Schuetze ranks second on the squad with 36 goals. He struck three times in his collegiate debut against Fresno Pacific, while leading all scorers with four goals in a win over top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 30), and three vs. then No. 2 USC (Sept. 23). Schuetze also netted a season-high five goals at Cal Baptist on Sept. 20.
 
Seniors Antoine Lena and Robby Stiefel have been steady all-around for the 'Eaters. In 20 games, Lena has recorded 19 goals, 13 assists and 24 steals, while Stiefel has 16 goals, 13 assists and 29 steals.
 
Junior Jack Trush has 20 goals with 11 of them coming in three games. He converted three times in wins over Loyola Marymount and San Jose State, while he also matched his career high with five goals against Concordia on Sept. 15.
 
Senior Kyle Trush has scored in each of the last three games, increasing his season total to 16. He missed the first six contests of the year, but has been a steady force on the defensive end since his return to the pool. In Trush's 14 outings, the Anteaters have allowed 8.86 goals per game, while playing 11 matches against top-10 teams, including two that were ranked No. 1.
 
Sophomore Bryant Joudrie lifted the 'Eaters to a 6-5 GCC victory against Pepperdine as he connected for the game-winner with four seconds left in overtime. It was his third goal of the year.
 
UCI had a season-long six-game win streak from Sept. 3-22, and during that stretch, the Anteaters outscored their opponents, 88-33.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine will host the Golden Coast Conference Tournament at Anteater Aquatics Complex next week. Six teams will be vying for the championship from Nov. 17-19.