No. 1 UCLA at No. 4 Stanford
October 14, 2015 | Men's Water Polo
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On Deck This Week
No. 1 UCLA (17-0, 1-0) returns to MPSF action on Saturday, Oct. 17, at No. 4 Stanford (14-4, 0-1) at 10:30 a.m. on the Pac-12 Networks. The Bruins will then head to league newcomer San Jose State (2-14, 0-2) for a 2:00 p.m. start on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Series History
UCLA is 70-82 all-time against Stanford while Head Coach Adam Wright is 9-6 against the Cardinal. The Bruins also sport an 8-1 record against San Jose State.
MPSF Statistical Rankings
There are three Bruins in the top 25 of the latest MPSF statistical rankings in scoring, led by junior attacker Ryder Roberts at No. 4 (33 goals, 14 matches, 2.36 gpg). Freshman attacker Spencer Farrar is second on the team in scoring with 27 goals (1.53 gpg), which ranks tied for 19th in the MPSF. Junior attacker Patrick Fellner is third on the team in scoring with 21 goals (1.62 gpg), which ranks 16th in the MPSF in scoring with 15 goals in nine matches (1.67 gpg).
Goalies Leading the Pack
While four different Bruins have spent time in the cage for UCLA this season, two of them are in the top four in the MPSF in goals against average after six weeks of play. Freshman Alex Wolf leads the team and is first in the MPSF in goals against average at 4.56. Junior Garrett Danner is fourth at 6.07. Both sophomore goalkeepers Elliot Ordway(2.67 gaa) and Aleksandar Ruzic (3.64 gaa) would rank in the top two, but haven't played enough periods to qualify.
True Freshmen Earn Caps
Three true freshmen have earned a cap and have already made an immediate impact in 2015. Those newcomers include goalkeeper Alex Wolf (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach HS), attacker Spencer Farrar (Malibu, Calif./Agoura HS) and utility Max Staresinic (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny HS). Wolf has played 21.921 quarters in goal for the Bruins and has registered 51 saves while allowing 25 goals (4.56 gaa), which leads the MPSF. Farrar has notched 27 goals (19th in the MPSF) playing in all 17 matches and is also third on the team in steals with 17. Staresinic has played in seven matches, starting once, and has tallied five goals, four steals and three assists.
Daboub on Fire
Senior defender Anthony Daboub was second on the team last week in scoring with eight goals, including a career-high four in the Kap7 SoCal Invitational title match against No. 2 USC. He had only scored seven goals in the first 11 matches he played but has eight in the last three. He is currently tied for fifth on the squad in scoring with 15 goals.
No Rust for Fuentes
Junior attacker Joey Fuentes, who played for UCLA in 17 matches in 2012, scoring 15 goals, has returned to the Bruins' squad after a two-year hiatus. He redshirted for UCLA in 2013 and was not on the team in 2014. He has been a full-time student at UCLA for the last three years. Even with the two-year lay-off, Fuentes is currently tied for sixth on the team in scoring (15 goals) and is third on the squad in assists (17) in 11 matches played in 2015.
Defending Champions
UCLA won its ninth title in men's water polo in 2014 with the 9-8 win over USC on Dec. 7. It was the school's 112th NCAA Championship, which leads the nation.
National Rankings
UCLA retained its spot atop the CWPA Top 20 Poll for the seventh straight week. Below is the top 10:
| Rank | Team | Last Week | Points |
| 1 | UCLA | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | USC | 2 | 95 |
| 3 | California | 4 | 89 |
| 4 | Stanford | 3 | 86 |
| 5 | Pacific | 5 | 80 |
| 6 | UC Santa Barbara | 6 | 75 |
| 7 | UC Irvine | 7 | 70 |
| 8 | Long Beach State | 8 | 65 |
| 9 | Pepperdine | 9 | 60 |
| T10 | Princeton | 11 | 48 |
| T10 | UC Davis | 10 | 48 |
| T10 | Brown | 12 | 48 |
Returning All-Americans
UCLA returns six All-Americans, led by first-teamers Gordon Marshall and goalkeeper Garrett Danner. Marshall scored the game-winner in the 2014 National Championship to finish the year with 39 goals, while Danner has led the MPSF in goals-against average for the past two seasons (5.91 in 2014; 6.32 in 2013).
UCLA also returns All-American Daniel McClintick, a senior utility who was named 2014 NCAA Tournament MVP after scoring four goals in the championship game. He was fourth on the team in scoring last year with 41 goals (1.41 goals per game ranked 22nd in the MPSF).
The Bruins also return a pair of third team All-Americans in senior defender Anthony Daboub and junior attacker Ryder Roberts. Roberts missed seven games due to injury, but still managed to finish fifth on the team in scoring with 30 goals. Regarded as one of the best defenders in the country, Daboub picked up his scoring late in the season, racking up goals in 11 of his last 15 matches, to finish with a total of 20 goals in 2014.
Junior defender Chancellor Ramirez, an honorable mention All-American last season, scored 17 goals on the year, with almost half of his total (eight goals) coming against the top five teams in the country.
UCLA Picked to Win MPSF
In the most decisive preseason men's water polo coaches' poll in MPSF history, the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected to finish first among 10 teams in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) preseason coaches' poll, as announced by the conference office.
UCLA collected 78 points and eight first-place votes to headline the 2015 edition. The 12-point differential over second-place USC (66) surpassed the Trojans' previous record 10-point selection at the top of the 2008 poll.
The Bruins, who topped the annual preseason poll for the first time since 2005, are the defending NCAA Champions and finished unbeaten in the 2014 MPSF regular season.
| Rank | Team | Points (First-Place) | 2014 Record | 2014 MPSF Record (Finish) |
| 1 | UCLA | 78 (8) | 29-3 | 8-0 (1st) |
| 2 | USC | 66 | 24-7 | 6-2 (3rd) |
| 3T | California | 65 (1) | 22-7 | 4-4 (5th) |
| 3T | Stanford | 65 (1) | 26-4 | 7-1 (2nd) |
| 5 | Pacific | 44 | 14-12 | 2-6 (6th-Tie) |
| 6 | Long Beach State | 42 | 20-7 | 5-3 (4th) |
| 7 | UC Santa Barbara | 31 | 11-15 | 0-8 (9th) |
| 8 | UC Irvine | 28 | 15-14 | 2-6 (6th-Tie) |
| 9 | Pepperdine | 22 | 11-15 | 2-6 (6th-Tie) |
| 10 | San Jose State | 9 | 0-0 | First Year |
