SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The #3 seeded Pacific women's water polo team takes on #2 LMU in the semifinals of the 2023 Golden Coast Conference Championships at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29.
The Tigers won their opening game of the tournament 14-10 against #6 Azusa Pacific, while the Lions defeated #7 Santa Clara 12-10.
"These women have been working towards this all season," said Head Coach James Graham. "When we won yesterday, everyone said, 'the job's not done'. That's our motto."
The Tigers have a 13-5 advantage over the Lions since 2012 but fell 14-10 when the two teams last met in March.
The game will be a rematch of the 2022 GCC semifinal game, where the Tigers fell 10-5 to the Lions. The Tigers won the last 11 games before the past two.
"We know LMU is a strong team, but we're ready to show we're stronger," said Graham. "If our championship habits show today, like we know they can, we will achieve great things."
After day one of the GCC Championships, multiple Tigers lead the way. Graduate student Brianna Utas leads the tournament with five goals. She's fourth in points with six, after a three-way tie for first with seven points; that's where sophomore Szamira Koppány sits. Utas is also second for steals with three.
Koppány is fourth in goals with three and third in assists with four. Sophomore Hila Futorian and sophomore Addison McGowan are tied for fourth with two steals each. Clara Vulpisi has eight saves, putting her in second in the tournament, only behind the leader by one save. Vulpisi's save percentage of 44.4 percent has her in fifth place in the tournament. Her 10 goals-against is good for fifth, only two behind the leader at eight.
There will be a watch party in Stockton for those who can't make it to San Diego. The Lair, inside the Derosa University Center on Pacific's campus, will show the game on the big screen for fans to enjoy.
#3 Pacific vs. #2 LMU
Saturday, April 29, at 2 p.m.
Aztec Aquaplex
Watch Live
Live Stats
Tickets for the 2023 GCC Championships are on sale now. The tournament will be held at Aztec Aquaplex at San Diego State from Friday, Apr. 28, through Sunday, April 30. Fans can find more information at the tournament central site.
To stay current on Pacific women's water polo, download the Pacific Tigers Athletics mobile app and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
