IRVINE, Calif. -- With the a bid to the NCAA Championship going to the winner of the Golden Coast Conference Tournament, teams having been gearing up for 2017 and head coach Marc Hunt is excited about the possibilities of the season ahead.

The Anteater roster is a veteran group, strengthened by seven seniors, including five All-Americans.

"We have a lot to prove. We need to win games," Hunt started. "Everyone is aiming for the championship and it will be competitive as ever."

Five of those seniors, Lovre Milos, Kyle Trush, Antoine Lena, Brendan Duffy and Robby Stiefel redshirted last season.

"The guys that redshirted didn't waste time this past year," Hunt said. "They worked hard and it sharpened their resolve. It's a high level of water polo that has been created."

Leading the returning crew are seniors Lovre Milos and Kyle Trush.

"Lovre is a special player," He has one of the highest water polo IQs I've coached," Hunt said. "He is relentless in attack and is exceptional on both sides of the ball."

Lovre earned All-American honors in 2015 after leading the team with 60 goals. In 2014, he netted 92 goals, the second most by an MPSF player.

Trush, who is fresh off the World University Games, was also an All-American in 2015 following Milos with 46 goals.

"Kyle is a shut-down defender and adds an accurate shooting arm.  He is one of the strongest players we have had. He is tough as nails and that toughness will impact both sides of the ball."

Milos, Lena and Duffy are all finishing their careers in the pool and embarking on graduate degrees in the Paul Merage School of Business.

"These young men are academically-oriented and highly intelligent, in and out of the pool. Antoine is an extremely hard worker, and Brendan is going to be expanding his role and will be asked to carry a heavier load this season."

Stiefel also sat out last season after transferring from the United States Air Force Academy. He was an All-American and first-team Western Water Polo Association selection in 2014 when he led the Falcons with 56 assists and 68 steals and was second on the team with 44 goals.

"Robby is fun to watch," Hunt smiled. "He is a smart defender with great anticipation. With his vision, Robby will make the players around him better, so I'm looking forward to him being in the pool this season."

Other important players returning this season include goalkeeper Matej Matijevic, and attackers Ryan Warde and Jack Trush.

"Matijevic is one of the top goalies that I've coached," Hunt added. "He reads shooters and situations very well. He's got exceptional athletic ability in the cage."

Matijevic was a first team All-Golden Coast Conference honoree last season, recording 288 saves, while Trush and Warde each earned All-GCC recognition after going 1-2 in scoring for the Anteaters last season with 47 and 45 goals respectively.

"Ryan and Jack drew the toughest roles last season, having to pick up most of the scoring."

Younger players like Bryant Joudrie, Jon Polos, and Ian Fleenor gained a wealth of experience last year with Joudrie (30 goals) and Fleenor (25 goals) named to the Golden Coast Conference All-Freshman team after finishing the year third and fourth in scoring for the Anteaters.

Joining the list of returnees is newcomer Fynn Schuetze who hails from Hildesheim, Germany, where he is currently a member of the German National Team.

"Fynn has some impressive tools. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg.  A lefty at 6-7 and 225 pounds, he's a true utility player and will have an immediate impact."

Using 2016 as a building block, Hunt feels the pieces are in place and is anxious for the season to start.

"Throughout the past year, we have brought together several key components. We direct our focus on the controllables and maintain a present state of mind. The team is excited to play and we can't wait to get started in San Diego."
 
NEWS AND NOTES HEADING IN TO THE FIRST WEEKEND
No. 13 UC Irvine will open the season at the Triton Invitational hosted by UC San Diego Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 2-3). Action will take place at both the Triton Pool and Canyonview Pool.

UCI will take on Fresno Pacific in the season opener at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday at the Canyonview Pool. The Anteaters will play another contest on Sat. at either 1:40 or 2:40 p.m. depending on the first result as well as two more on Sunday with opponents to be determined following the first day's action.

The Triton Invitational field also includes Air Force (RV), Cal (1), Chapman, Concordia, Long Beach State (8), Loyola Marymount (17), UC Davis (9), UC Santa Barbara (6) and host UC San Diego (12).
 
UCI went 1-1 last year at the Triton Invitational, falling to USC and beating Cal Lutheran.
 
The Anteaters were 10-14 in 2016, finishing in fifth-place at the Golden Coast Conference Tournament.

Following this weekend's action in La Jolla, UCI will travel to the GCC vs. WWPA Conference Challenge Cup hosted by Pepperdine on Sept. 9.