STOCKTON, Calif.- Following a historic victory over No. 4 USC this past Saturday, the No. 3 Pacific men's water polo team (11-2) will head south to face two top-five nationally ranked opponents in No. 2 UCLA and No. 5 UC Santa Barbara this weekend.
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These matches will mark the seventh and eighth consecutive contests in which the Tigers have matched up against a top-ten team, which have all occurred in the last three weeks of Pacific's schedule.
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GAME DAY INFO:
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Game 14-
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No. 3 Pacific (11-2) at No. 2 UCLA (11-1)
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Friday, October 18 | 7:00 p.m. | Los Angeles, Calif.
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Links:
Live Stats
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Game 15-
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No. 3 Pacific (11-2) at No. 5 UC Santa Barbara
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Sunday, October 20 | 12:00 p.m. | Santa Barbara, Calif.
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Links:
Live Stats
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LAST TIME OUT:
- No. 3 Pacific defeated No. 4 USC on Saturday, Oct. 12 by a final score of 12-11. Senior Ege Colak paced the Tiger offense with three goals while Luke Pavillard led the team with five points (one goal and four assists).
- This victory marked the second time UOP has topped the Trojans this season, a feat that had never previously been accomplished in program history.
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TALE OF THE TAPE- NO.2 UCLA:
- This is the 55th all-time meeting between the Tigers and the Bruins. UCLA currently holds a 50-4 advantage in the record books, with the Bruins winning the last matchup, 8-5, on Sept. 29, 2018 at Chris Kjeldsen Pool.
- This match is also the final non-conference contest of the 2019 regular season for Pacific. UCLA recently defeated the Tigers first conference opponent, UC Santa Barbara, 15-11, on Oct. 11.
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TALE OF THE TAPE- NO. 5 UC SANTA BARBARA:
- This is the 71st all-time meeting between the Tigers and the Gauchos. UCSB currently holds a 42-28 advantage in the record books, but Pacific previously defeated the Gauchos, 11-10, on Sept. 29, when they were ranked as the nation's top team. This was only the second time the Tigers had defeated the No. 1 team in the nation under head coach James Graham, with the only other victory coming in a 10-6 win over USC on Nov. 2, 2013.
- This match will mark the beginning of conference play for UOP in 2019. The Tigers have four more GCC contests scheduled before the end of the regular season, with two on the road and two at home.
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ON THE PROWL:
- Luke Pavillard continues to be a catalyst for the Tigers as he currently leads the team in goals (36), assists (23), total points (59) and steals (21). The redshirt senior from Perth, Australia is also fifth in the GCC in goals, third in total points and tied for second in assists and steals.
- Matthew Hosmer, a Stockton native who is in his first season with Pacific, also continues to impress around the league. The freshman currently sits at fourth on the team with 27 goals and is tied for fourth with 35 total points. Aiming to shine in every match, Hosmer also currently holds the third-best sprint winning percentage in the GCC at .833 (10-2).
- After not seeing any action during his first year with the Tigers, Jon Barry is a force to be reckoned with inside the cage as the sophomore from Orange, Calif. is currently third in the conference with 111 total saves. Furthermore, his average of 8.54 saves per game is good for fourth in the GCC.
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POWERHOUSES IN THE POOL:
- Pacific, UCLA and UCSB have combined for 37 All-American selections since 2016. Luke Pavillard was a back-to-back First Team selection in 2017 and 2018 while Engin Ege Colak has been selected the past three years (Honorable Mention in 2016, Third Team in 2017 + 2018). Colak is the tenth Tiger in program history to be selected as an All-American at least three times.
- All three programs have enjoyed tremendous success since 2013, combining for seven appearances in the NCAA Men's Division I postseason tournament during this time frame. UCLA has won the championship three times (2014-2015, 2017) while Pacific was a runner-up in 2013 and a semi-finalist in 2017. Additionally, UCSB has never finished a season lower than tenth in the nation in the previous six years.
