IRVINE, Calif. - No. 8 UC Irvine men's water polo heads to Los Angeles for four games at the Overnght MPSF Invitational, hosted by UCLA and USC this weekend (Sept. 19-21). The Anteaters are set to open the three-day tournament, which features the top-four ranked teams in the country, against No. 13 LMU Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. Depending on the result, UCI will face either No. 3 Cal or No. 17 UC Santa Barbara Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The 'Eaters will return to the pool Saturday evening for either a 5 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. game, before closing out action on Sunday.

ANTEATER TIDBITS
• UCI dropped to 6-2 on the year after falling to No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 USC last week.
• Senior Luka Krstic scored five goals over the two games to earn Big West Player of the Week honors.
• The Anteaters held a Bruin squad that is averaging 19 goals per game to a season-low 13.
• UC Irvine started the season 6-0 for the first time since 2014.
• The 'Eaters won back-to-back Big West regular season titles in 2023 and 2024.
• The Anteaters are 9-1 in conference during that stretch, including a perfect 5-0 mark last year.
• They also claimed the Big West Championship title and made their first NCAA appearance in 30 years in 2023.
• UCI returns nearly 80% of its scoring from a 2024 squad that netted a single-season school record 400 goals.

WEEKLY ACCOLADES
Luka Krstic was named the Big West Player of the Week for the first time this season, and fifth time in his career, on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Krstic had a pair of multi-goal games against the top-two ranked teams in the country, finishing with two at No. 1 UCLA and three vs. No. 2 USC. He was the only Anteater to find the back of the net multiple times against the Trojans. On the year, Krstic is tops on the squad with 15 goals. 

IN THE RANKINGS
UCI remained at No. 8 in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association rankings released on September 17. The Anteaters have been ranked among the top-10 in all four polls this season.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
No. 13 LMU (3-2) picked up a pair of home wins last Saturday, Sept. 13, defeating Brown, 13-9, and UC Santa Barbara, 16-12. Graduate student Tommaso Baldineti leads the Lions with 12 goals on the season, while junior Abel Romero Corbalan has 10. Senior Finn Friedland and graduate student Roberto Barrera Sanchez have split time in the cage, combining for 52 saves and a 13.00 goals against average.

WE MEET AGAIN
UC Irvine and LMU met in the season opener at the UCI Invitational on August 29. The Anteaters trailed early but back-to-back five-goal periods helped them come away with a 15-14 victory. Cole Francisco led the offense with three goals and two assists. Jasper Dale also netted a hat trick, including two tallies in the fourth quarter. Alika Naone and Abel Romero Corbalan scored three goals apiece for the Lions. The two teams have a third meeting on the schedule as they will square off in the regular-season finale at Burns Center on Saturday, Nov. 15.

LAST TIME OUT
No. 8 UC Irvine came up short to second-ranked USC, falling 13-8, last Saturday at Anteater Aquatics Complex. Luka Krstic recorded his third hat trick of the season with a team-high three goals. Wyley Dale, Cole Francisco, Gage Verdegaal, Jack Stevens, and Johann Thrall also found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Zayd Mahmoud earned his seventh start and tallied eight saves. Mihailo Vukazic accounted for eight of the Trojans' 13 goals, while Bernardo Herzer anchored the defensive effort with 11 saves.

ON THE ATTACK
UC Irvine scored 14+ goals in six of its eight games with a season-high 21 in a win over Concordia on August 30. The Anteaters, who are averaging 14.1 goals per contest, have nine players with at least one hat trick. Luka Krstic, who has a trio of three-goal games, leads the squad with 15 goals on the year. Cole Francisco had three goals vs. LMU, four against California Baptist, and three vs. CUI. He ranks second on the team with 13 tallies. Wyley Dale (11) and Johann Thrall (11) have also reached double figures in the scoring column.

MINDING THE NET
Senior goalkeeper Zayd Mahmoud started seven of UCI's eight games this year, logging 200 minutes in the cage. He has compiled 51 saves and an 11.20 goals against average. Mahmoud stopped a season-high nine shots against Concordia and matched that total at No. 1 UCLA. Junior Blake Borders earned the start against Cal Lutheran (Sept. 6), finishing with seven saves. 

COLLEGIATE FIRSTS
Freshman Samuel Bowman scored his first collegiate goal with 1:35 left in the third quarter of a 21-7 victory over Concordia. Bowman struck again one minute later to cap a seven-goal period for the Anteaters. Sophomore Keegan McGann also had the first multi-goal game of his collegiate career with two tallies in a 15-8 win against Cal State Fullerton, while sophomore Maddox McEwen netted a career-high four goals in an 18-8 triumph over Cal Lutheran.

PRESEASON HONORS
Seniors Luka Krstic and Jack Stevens were named to the eight-member Preseason All-Big West Team as voted on by the conference's head coaches. Krstic is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he led the Anteaters with 80 points on 52 goals and 28 assists. He is a two-time All-American and first-team All-Big West selection. Stevens finished with 30 goals and 12 assists a year ago. He is a two-time All-Big West honoree. As a team, UCI was picked to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. The 'Eaters received 18 points to come in behind Long Beach State (29) and UC San Diego (20).

ALL-BIG WEST RETURNERS
The Anteaters return five All-Big West honorees from a 2024 squad that won their second-straight regular-season title. Luka Krstic was named to the first team, and Johann Thrall garnered second-team distinction. Cole Francisco and Jack Stevens were both honorable mention selections, while Francisco and Ethan Spoon made the All-Freshman Team.  

STORIED HISTORY
UC Irvine men's water polo is in its 60th year of existence (59th season with the 2020 cancellation). Since 1965, the Anteaters have put together 17 seasons with 20 or more wins, including a perfect 30-0 campaign in 1982 when they won the second of their three NCAA Championships (1970, 1982, 1988). The 'Eaters, who earned a spot in each of the first 10 NCAA tournaments, have made 22 appearances.

HOME SWEET HOME
UCI is set to host the 2025 Big West Championships at Anteater Aquatics Complex, November 21-23. The conference tournament will make its way to Irvine after being held in La Jolla in 2023 and in Davis in 2024.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine continues tournament play at the Lancer Joust in Riverside, Sept. 26-27. The Anteaters will play two games each day, starting with a 1:10 p.m. rematch against Concordia next Friday.