Luka Krstic vs. USC
11
UC Irvine UCI (2-4)
15
Winner Southern California USC (5-0)
UC Irvine UCI
(2-4)
11
Final
15
Southern California USC
(5-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UC Irvine UCI 2 3 3 3 11
Southern California USC 2 4 5 4 15

Game Recap: Men's Water Polo | | Jordan Kehoe

UCI Could Not Hold On At No. 3/3 USC

LOS ANGELES – No. 9/8 fought hard against No. 3/3 USC but could not hold on as they fell 15-11 inside the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
 
Luka Krstic, the Big West Player of the Week, led the offensive charge with his second hat-trick of the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • Tyler Padua, Cole Francisco, and Jackson Matos put together mutli-goal games with two each
  • Jack Stevens and Ethan Spoon had a goal apiece
  • Jacob Pyle put together a double digit save game with 10 in 32 minutes
  • Matos and Gage Verdegaal distributed two assists each
  • Padua shined in center with a game with a game high four drawn exclusions
  • UCI converted five power play chances to the Trojan's four
  • No. 3/3 USC was led by Max Miller who recorded three goals on four shots
 
SCORING BREAKDOWN
  • First period: The Anteaters struck first at 6:50 with a Tyler Padua strike from the center off the pass from Jackson Matos. No. 3/3 USC leveled the game on a five-meter conversion. Just a minute later, Cole Francisco (5:16) hot from long-range to push No. 9/8 UC Irvine back in front. The 'Eater defense held the Trojans off for three minutes before they knotted the game at 2:15 up a player, 2-2.
    • Francisco (1) and Padua (1)
  • Second period: An entry pass led the USC's first lead of the contest, but two straight from Luka Krstic (4:48, 4:17) by threading the ball past four defender's hands and a five-meter make allowed UCI to go up 4-3. Padua turned and released in center off the pass from Gage Verdegaal at 2:19 to make it 5-all, but the Trojans bounced the ball into the cage to lead at the half, 6-5.
    • Krstic (2) and Padua (1)
  • Third period: After two consecutive scores from No. 3/3 USC, Ethan Spoon drew a penalty and Francisco (5:29) converted. Jack Stevens (4:00) got on the board on his redirection shot and then Matos (0:54) went again from atop the formation as the Anteaters trailed, 11-8.
    • Francsico (1), Matos (1), and Stevens (1)
  • Fourth period: UCI brought the game back within two when Krstic (6:39) skipped the ball into the left side of the cage. The Trojans tried to pull away, but Matos (5:08) was slick, faking right but going left, to keep it within two. USC put in three unanswered before Spoon was able to find away to put the ball into the goal after being clobbered by the defense at 1:13, but it wasn't enough as UCI fell, 15-11.
    • Krstic (1), Matos (1), and Spoon (1)
 
UP NEXT
No. 9/8 UC Irvine heads to the Big West-WCC Clash for three games, first facing the host school 16/15 LMU at 6 p.m. on Sept. 20.
 
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