MALIBU, Calif. - Djordje Stanic scored four goals and Luis Araya added two goals and two assists, but the top-seeded and No. 4 Pacific men's water polo team dropped a hard-fought decision, 13-12, to fourth-seeded Long Beach State Saturday afternoon at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Saturday's semifinal matchup was a rematch of the 2018 GCC Championship match when LBSU downed Pacific, 10-6, to advance to the NCAA tournament.
• The Tigers previously defeated the 49ers this season, 13-12, on Nov. 1 in thrilling fashion as Engin Ege Colak netted the game-winning goal with just two seconds left in the match.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Araya provided a spark for Pacific's in the early going, registering two goals on three total shots in the opening frame. 
• Despite the loss, Pacific outshot Long Beach State on the day, 35-28. 
• Making a case for yet another All-American selection, Colak notched his 16^th multi-goal game of the season against the 49ers. 

FIRST PERIOD

• Pacific fell behind early in the matching, trailing 2-0 after the first two minutes of play.
• Looking for the first goal of the match, Araya put the Tigers on the board at the 5:51 mark. Additionally, the Stockton native ended the first period having scored both Tiger goals after beating LBSU's keeper with 23 seconds remaining.
• Overall, Pacific tied Long Beach in shots with seven per side heading into the second period.

SECOND PERIOD

• Aiming to gain monemtum on offense, Pacific found their grove in the second by outscoring the 49ers in the period, 4-3. 
• The Tigers cut LBSU's lead to 7-4 at the 5:16 mark as Pacific netted two goals in 44 seconds from Colak and GCC Newcomer of the Year Jeremie Cote.
• Keeping their 49ers close, Colak notched his second goal of the quarter at the 1:14 mark, cutting Long Beach's lead to 8-6 just before the half. The Tigers would head into the locker room trailing LBSU by two. 

THIRD PERIOD

• Coming out of the break, Colak cut the Long Beach lead to one at the 7:43 mark.
• Redshirt freshman Jonathan Barry denied a close-range shot at the 5:17 mark, followed by a Stanic goal at the 4:57 mark to keep the Tigers within two. 
• After earning his third consecutive GCC Player of the Year earlier this week, redshirt senior Luke Pavillard found the back of the cage for the first time on an assist from Cote at the 1:40 mark, cutting the 49er lead to 11-9. The Tigers would trail LBSU by this same score at the end of three periods of play.

FOURTH PERIOD

• Fresh off being named to the GCC All-Freshman team, Matthew Hosmer recorded his first of the afternoon with a goal at the 3:59 mark, pulling UOP to within one of the 49ers. 
• In a back-and-forth affair, the Tigers cut the Long Beach lead to one three times in the final four minutes. Unfortunately, Long Beach State was able to respond each time UOP scored. 
• Pacific had one last chance to even the match with a second on the clock and a man advantage, but the shot off the whistle was blocked as Pacific fell to the 49ers by a final score of 13-12.

WHAT'S NEXT

• Pacific will battle No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara Sunday at 11:00 a.m. for third place in the GCC Tournament.
• Following Sunday's match, the Tigers will await the official seeding for the NCAA Tournament that will take place at Chris Kjeldsen Pool from Dec. 5-8.

FOLLOW US

• For updates and more information on Pacific men's water polo, be sure to follow along on Twitter @UOPWaterPoloU, Instagram @PacificWaterPolo and on Facebook @PacificMensWaterPolo.