Stockton, Calif. - The No. 4 Pacific men's water polo was topped by No. 1 UCLA, 9-5, Saturday at Chris Kjeldsen Pool. Aleksandar Petrovic and Luis Araya each scored twice for Pacific.
Ikko Saito added a goal for the Tigers, who fell at home for just the second time in their last 11 home matches dating back to 2014, both to No. 1 UCLA. The Bruins have won 51 consecutive games and improve to 18-0 this season.
UCLA's Garrett Danner recorded nine saves in goal in 29:52 of action, surrendering four goals. Redshirt freshman goalie Alen Osmanovic tallied 10 saves for Pacific.
Pacific falls to 12-4 on the season, with all four losses coming to the top three of the polls, including both meetings with UCLA this season.
Max Irving scored three times for UCLA while Ryder Roberts and Alex Roelse each scored twice. Chancellor Ramirez and Patrick Fellner also scored for the Bruins.
Irving opened the scoring in the first quarter at the 6:24 mark with an open shot from four meters out. Petrovic knotted the game with a goal from five meters, skipping it under the right arm of Danner at the 4:03 mark. But Irving answered right back with a shot to the top left corner from four meters out on the ensuing possession. Alex Roelse
capitalized on a 6-on-5 and finished cross-cage just inside the left post for a 3-1 UCLA lead with 1:08 left in the first.
In the second quarter, Alex Roelse spun around a defender, swam forward and fired for his second goal of the game and a 4-1 UCLA lead. Ryder Roberts finished cross-cage as UCLA tallied a fourth-straight goal with 3:24 to go in the half. The Tigers drew a 6-on-5 and Petrovic rose and ripped home a goal from just inside four meters to pull Pacific within three.
Luis Araya capped a Pacific 6-on-5 with a goal off a Devon Thumwood assist to close within 5-3 on Pacific's first possession of the third. Patrick Fellner responded for UCLA from up high, finishing to the lower right for a 6-3 Bruins lead with 3:44 to go in the quarter. Irving stretched the lead to 7-3 for UCLA with his third of the game with 1:08 left in the third. Chancellor Ramirez tacked on a goal with 26 seconds left in the third for an 8-3 lead.
In the fourth, Roberts skipped in a shot to the near side to extend the lead to 9-3. Saito tallied from the two meter with a cross-cage shot tucked inside the far post with 4:40 left, and Araya added his second with 1:34 to go.
Pacific is back in action on Friday at No. 17 UC Irvine at 7 p.m.
