Stockton, Calif. - The No. 7 Pacific men's water polo team fell to No. 1 UCLA, 12-7, Saturday at Chris Kjeldsen Pool.
Ben Stevenson recorded a hat-trick while Krisztian Laczkovics and Tim Reeves finished with two goals each.
The Bruins scored on five of their first six power play opportunities, while the Tigers converted five-of-nine for the game. Chris Hughes finished with four saves for Pacific, while Garrett Danner posted eight for the Bruins.
UCLA improves to 23-2 overall, 7-0 in MPSF play. Pacific falls to 13-10 overall, 1-6 in MPSF action.
The two sides took their time to get going offensively. Stevenson hit post at 6:14 first, and Gordon Marshall skipped a shot wide on the other end for UCLA. Laczkovics' sharp angle shot at 4:49 opened the scoring in the first quarter, but UCLA's Jack Fellner answered back on the ensuing possession to tie the game at 1-1.
Hughes saved a 6-on-5 shot, but on the Tigers next short-handed situation, Anthony Daboub finished a pass on the doorstep for a 2-1 UCLA lead.
After a stop, Daboub tallied from the outside to stretch the lead to 3-1.
Laczkovics tucked a shot in the near side in the second quarter for his 40th goal of the year.
Daniel Lenhart answered for the Bruins at the 5:10 mark to restore a two-goal lead. After a UCLA stop, Cristiano Mirarchi pushed the Bruins' lead to 5-2 with a goal from the outside.
Marshall accepted a feed in the two-meter and scored over the keeper, but Reeves answered for Pacific with a 6-on-5 goal. Matt Farmer converted a 6-on-5 opportunity for the Bruins, accepting a pass inside the two meter from the corner and finishing cross-cage for a 7-3 lead.
Stevenson tallied on the 6-on-5 from five meters away, but UCLA answered with their own 6-on-5, as Farmer converted. Paul Reynolds added another as the Bruins surged ahead 9-4.
Reeves closed the third quarter with his second goal of the match, narrowing the gap to 9-5.
Daniel Lenhart opened the fourth quarter with goal for UCLA, but Ikko Saito answered for Pacific, ripping a shot inside the near post from five meters away.
Stevenson converted a five-meter penalty, cutting the margin to 10-7 with 6:33 to play.
Ryder Roberts finishes a 6-on-5 to restore a four-goal lead with 5:46 to play. Reynolds' tallied again to put the game out of reach at 12-7, before Stevenson finished with 54 seconds left on a six-on-five.
Pacific will travel to No. 2 Stanford next Saturday for a noon contest, before closing the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 16 at noon at home against No. 10 Pepperdine.
