SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The #7 Pacific men's water polo team (19-6, 4-1) will play in the semifinal of the 2022 GCC Tournament against #13 UC Irvine at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Pacific enters the tournament, hosted by UC Santa Barbara, as the #1 seed.
"We are ready and can't wait to play," said Head Coach James Graham.
The Tigers defeated the Anteaters 18-13 on October 28, the only time these two teams have met this season. Historically, the Tigers have a 17-12 overall record against the Anteaters since 2005.
Pacific heads into the tournament with a record number of All-GCC awards; all seven players on the Tigers' starting lineup received All-GCC recognition.
Water Polo U will be hosting a campus watch party for fans who cannot make it to the championships.
"It's a huge deal. I mean, we are excited about this championship, and we know we're going to have a lot of fans here in Santa Barbara cheering us on, but to have the watch party back at home on campus supporting us, we feel the love from top to bottom across the university," said Head Coach James Graham. "It makes our water polo program and our university super special. It's why we're Water Polo U because no place supports water polo like Pacific, and we're unbelievably grateful, and we can't wait to represent at the highest level."
The support leading up to the semifinal game is encouraging the players.
"Knowing that we have the support of our school and our fellow students, teachers, staff, and everyone watching us means the world to us," said senior Bogdan Djerkovic. "It just helps us that extra little bit and motivates us a little bit more to get that championship."
For international players, that campus and local community support is extra special.
"For us whose parents are not able to be here, those Pacific students, the president and fellow student-athletes, they're like family to us, so it's the same thing," said senior Djordje Stanic. "They're a huge wind in our backs, and they're going to push us 100 percent, and we will be so grateful to have them behind us."
The game will be live-streamed here for those unable to attend the game or watch party. Fans can also follow along with live stats here.
"Hopefully, we'll be back on Sunday with a ring, and we can celebrate together," said Stanic.
