STOCKTON, Calif.- The No. 3 Pacific men's water polo team (13-3, 2-0) is aiming to push their winning streak to three games as the Tigers head south to face No. 6 Long Beach State (13-9, 1-1) on Friday afternoon.
Â
The match will mark the tenth consecutive contest in which UOP has faced a top-ten opponent, with the team notching a 7-3 overall record in these ten games.Â
Â
Â
GAME DAY INFO:
Â
No. 3 Pacific (13-3, 2-0) at No. 6 Long Beach State (13-9, 1-1)
Â
Friday, November 1 | 7:00 pm | Long Beach, Calif.
Â
Links:
Live Stats
Â
Â
LAST TIME OUT:
- The Tigers defeated No. 5 Pepperdine, 15-8, on Saturday, Oct. 26 for their second consecutive conference win. With the victory, Pacific is now atop the GCC standings as the only team to be undefeated in conference play.
- Luke Pavillard scored six times in the win over the Waves, tying his season-high total goals in a match. The redshirt senior also tallied six goals in 19-11 victory over LMU on Sept. 27.
- Luis Araya recorded his second straight hat trick with three goals scored, which also ties his season-high. The Stockton native previously found the back of the net three times in wins over Cal (9/15) and No. 5 UCSB (10/20).
Â
TALE OF THE TAPE:
- This is the 66th all-time meeting between the Tigers and the 49ers. Long Beach State currently holds a 28-37 advantage in the record books, with Pacific's last win over LBSU coming on Oct. 14, 2018 in a 10-9 victory.
- This match will mark the third consecutive conference contest for the Tigers. UOP is scheduled for two more regular season matches- at home on Nov. 9 vs. UC Irvine and on the road at San Jose State on Nov. 16- before the GCC tournament will begin on Nov. 22.
Â
ON THE PROWL:
- Making the case for yet another All-American selection, Pavillard continues to pace the Tiger offense as he is currently first on the team in goals (47), total points (74) and steals (24). The Perth, Australia native is also third in the conference in goals and steals and second in overall points. Additionally, he is tied with freshman Djordje Stanic for third on the team and in the GCC with 27 steals. Overall, Pavillard leads the conference in points per game (4.63) and steals per game (1.50) while also tying Stanic for first with 1.69 assists per game.
- Continuing his stellar season in the cage, redshirt freshman Jonathan Barry is currently third in the conference in overall saves (127) and fourth in saves per game (7.94).
- Providing a huge impact in his first season with the Orange and Black, freshman Matthew Hosmer is currently third in the GCC in sprint winning percentage, winning 10 of his 12 sprints to record a .833 clip.
Â
POWERHOUSES IN THE POOL:
- Pacific and Long Beach State have combined for 17 All-American selections since 2016.  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.
- Both programs have enjoyed significant success over the last few years, with LBSU having won at least 15 matches the last two seasons. The 49ers are also the reigning GCC tournament champions, having defeated Pacific, 10-6, on Nov. 18, 2018 to win the title. On the other hand, the Tigers have won at least 12 matches in every season since 2013, appearing as a semi-finalist in the NCAA tournament in 2013 while also finishing as the national runner-up in 2017.
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.
Â
