No. 1 UCLA Hits the Road to Face Two Ranked Teams

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LOS ANGELES – No. 1 UCLA (17-0) hits the road this weekend for a pair of non-conference games against 4th-ranked Pacific (12-3) at Noon on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Chris Kjeldsen Aquatics Complex and 11th-ranked UC Davis (11-3) at Noon on Sunday, Oct. 9 at Schaal Aquatic Center.

Series Records
The Bruins are 45-4 all-time against Pacific and 15-0 all-time vs. UC Davis. Last year, the Bruins defeated the Tigers 11-5 in an MPSF home game (Nov. 1) and more recently defeated them 11-5 in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Invitational Tournament earlier this year (Sept. 24). The Bruins also posted a 14-4 season-opening win over UC Davis at the Triton Invitational last year (Sept. 5).

UCLA Off to Hot Start
UCLA is 17-0 in 2016, running its winning streak to 50 games, which ties the all-time UCLA men's water polo record for consecutive victories (1964-68). The Bruins have now pulled within one of the all-time NCAA record of 51, set by Stanford from 1985-87. On Saturday, UCLA will have a chance to match the all-time national record when they travel to face No. 4 Pacific. Should the Bruins defeat the Tigers, they will attempt to break the NCAA record on Sunday at No. 11 UC Davis.

Goldenberg Named MPSF/Kap7 Newcomer of the Week
UCLA redshirt freshman Eric Goldenberg (Ft. Lauderdale, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas HS) was named the MPSF/Kap7 Newcomer of the Week on Oct. 3 as announced by the league. He scored four goals on four shots in two wins as the Bruins tied their school record of 50 consecutive victories (Oct. 1). Goldenberg opened with one goal in an 11-0 win over No. 13 UC Irvine, also adding two field blocks. Then in a 17-4 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, he tied his season-high with a game-high three goals while adding one steal. This is Goldenberg's first career MPSF honor and the first for UCLA in 2016.

Farmer Named UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week
UCLA junior center Matt Farmer (La Grange, Ill/Fenwick HS) was voted the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week for Sept. 26-Oct. 1. Farmer helped UCLA tie its school record of 50 consecutive victories last week with three goals in two games. He tied for the team lead in scoring with two goals in an 11-0 win over No. 13 UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 1. He also drew two exclusions against the Anteaters. Then later that day, in a 17-4 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, he scored once while recording one assist and drawing another exclusion. This is Farmer's first UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week honor of the season and of his career. He is currently tied for fourth on the team in scoring with 18 goals in 17 games and is second on the team in earned exclusions (19).

Freshmen Making Immediate Impact
Two UCLA true freshmen have earned caps and are making immediate impacts with the Bruins in 2016. Jake Simpson is currently eighth on the team in scoring after 14 games with 12 goals. He already has three multiple-goal games and has scored in nine of the 14 games he has played. He has tallied six assists, seven steals and has won three sprints so far this season. James Vlachonassios has scored eight goals (16th on the squad) in his first 15 games, including a hat trick in the win over Redlands (Sept. 4). He has registered 15 assists (tied for fourth) and nine steals on the year.

Fellner On Fire
Senior Patrick Fellner is currently leading the team in scoring with 25 goals (6th in the MPSF) and has played in 13 of 17 games with eight starts. He is tied for eighth on the team in assists (10) and is tied for second on the squad in steals (14). Fellner ranks fifth in exclusions (nine) and has won six sprints (fourth on the team). He has scored at least one goal in each of the last 11 games he has played, the longest active streak on the team.

Picking Up Where He Left Off
Senior Ryder Roberts is currently third on the team in scoring with 19 goals (tied for 10th in the MPSF) and has played in 13 of 17 games with 10 starts. He is third on the team in assists (19) and has won nine sprints (2nd on the squad). Roberts has also been key on defense for the Bruins, leading the team in steals (23) and field blocks (9). Roberts led UCLA in scoring a year ago with 57 goals. He has 142 career goals and is currently tied for 10th on UCLA's all-time Top 10 list (Ben Hohl, Daniel McClintick and Chris Kellerman also have 142).

Fuentes A Force
Senior Joey Fuentes is second on the squad in scoring with 20 goals and has played in all 17 games, making three starts. Last week he registered a hat trick in the Bruins' win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and he led the Bruins in scoring with four goals in the 18-7 win over Pomona-Pitzer (Sept. 23). Fuentes leads the team in assists (27) and has also registered 13 steals (tied for 4th) and won eight sprints (3rd on the team). He has scored at least one goal in 11 of the 15 games he has played in.

The Irving Impact
Junior Max Irving is currently fourth on the team in scoring with 18 goals and has played in 13 of 17 games with ten starts. He led the Bruins in scoring with a hat trick in the 10-7 win over No. 2 Cal in the championship game of the Mountain Pacific Invitational (Sept. 25). Irving has also tallied 20 assists (2nd on the team), 13 steals and three field blocks. He has registered four hat tricks on the year.

Ramirez Surging
Senior Chancellor Ramirez is currently sixth in scoring for the Bruins with 13 goals and has played in 12 of 17 games with five starts. On the weekend of Sept. 16-17, he led the Bruins in scoring with five goals in two games including a hat trick in the 9-3 win over No. 9 Pepperdine (Sept. 16). He has also registered seven assists, five steals and three field blocks on the year.

Bruins Solid In The Cage
The Bruins have used three different goalkeepers in 2016, including Cutino Award winner and last year's league (MPSF) and National Player of the Year, Garrett Danner. So far with just 20.44 quarters (5.11 games) played, he is averaging 11.35 saves per game while holding a 4.50 goals against average. Junior Aleksandar Ruzic has spent the most time in the cage, playing 43.31 quarters (10.83 games) while averaging 8.40 saves per game to go with a 4.89 goals against average. Redshirt freshman Jonathan Van De Velde played the second half of the Bruins' win over Chapman (Sept. 4) as well as the second half of the Bruins' victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Oct. 1) and has a saves average of 9.0 per game to go with his team-best 3.00 goals against average.

Adjustments Made
UCLA has only allowed 16 goals in the third period over the first 17 games, its best defensive period, outscoring its opposition 70-16 in that span. The Bruins did not allow a single goal in the third period in either game against UC Irvine and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps last weekend.

Hat Tricks Galore
UCLA has had at least one hat trick in 15 of 17 games and multiple hat tricks in six of the 17 contests. Additionally, the Bruins had four hat tricks in the 16-5 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (Sept. 11) as Ryder Roberts, Matt Farmer, Max Irving and Patrick Fellner each scored three goals against the Terriers.

Wright on Deck
UCLA Head Coach Adam Wright, the 2014 and 2015 ACWPC Coach of the Year, is in his eighth season in 2016 at the helm of the Bruins' program, sporting an overall record of 198-30 (.868), including a 48-9 (.842) mark in MPSF action. He was won two NCAA titles as a coach (2014 and 2015) and two as a player (1999 & 2000).

Recapping 2015
The Bruins ended the year with a 30-0 record and went a perfect 9-0 in the MPSF for its second-consecutive undefeated league season. UCLA went 4-0 on the year against USC, including a 10-7 victory in the NCAA Championship game to win its second straight NCAA title, the program's 10th overall and the school's 113th. The undefeated season was the first for UCLA since the 1969 team went 19-0, marking the fourth undefeated season all-time in NCAA men's water polo history. The Bruins entered 2016 with a 33-game winning streak (second-longest in school history) and a 24-game winning streak in the MPSF, a school record. Last weekend, UCLA tied the school record set in 1964-68 for consecutive overall wins with its 50th straight victory.

Picked to Win MPSF
For the second-straight year, UCLA has finished on top of the MPSF Men's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' poll, collecting the maximum possible 16 points and four first-place votes. Taking second in this year's poll is USC with 13 points and one first-place vote. National runners-up the last two years, the Trojans have reached the NCAA Championship game the last 11 seasons, winning seven titles in that span. They return their top seven scorers from last year, including All-Americans Blake Edwards (68 goals; No. 3 MPSF), Grant Stein, Lachlan Edwards, and Matteo Morelli. Olympians Thomas Dunstan (newcomer) and goalkeeper McQuin Baron are also on the roster. Finishing in the middle of the poll was California with 10 points, coming off a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship in 2015. U.S. Olympian Luca Cupido returns for the Bears, named first-team All-American and NCAA All-Tournament last year. Also back is the reigning MPSF Newcomer of the Year Johnny Hooper (74 goals; No. 2 MPSF), as well as all-conference performers Odysseas Masmanidis (66 goals) and goalkeeper Lazar Andric. Stanford placed fourth in the poll with seven points. Back is All-American Goalkeeper Drew Holland. He enters 2016 with 742 career saves, two away from the school record and 12 away from breaking into the MPSF's all-time top-10. While three of its top-four scorers have graduated (including MPSF all-time leading scorer Bret Bonanni), the Cardinal welcome back Reid Chase (38 goals), Cody Smith, and Connor Stapleton, along with U.S. Olympian Ben Hallock as part of a six-member incoming class. Rounding out the poll of the five-team conference is first-year member Penn State Behrend. The Lions will solely compete in the MPSF Championship Tournament, not in the MPSF's regular season conference schedule. They return All-American Grant Garcia along with Troy Valkusky, and bring in top newcomers Andre Sardaryzadeh, Isaak Hatopp, and Greg Levet. Located in Erie, Pa., NCAA Division III Penn State Behrend comes to the MPSF from the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).

UCLA Hosting 2016 MPSF Championship
UCLA is this year's site of the 2016 MPSF Championship Tournament, November 18-20, where all five teams will compete for entry to the NCAA Tournament. California will host NCAA's December 3-4. Since its inaugural season of 1992, the MPSF has captured all 24 NCAA titles in men's water polo.

Polling UCLA
The UCLA Bruins, which have been ranked at No. 1 for 23 consecutive weeks, dating back to week 13 of the 2014 poll (Dec. 3, 2014), were tabbed as the top-ranked team entering the 2016 season in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's (CWPA) Preseason Poll. The Bruins retained top billing this week (Oct. 5) and have owned that spot in 29 of the last 35 weekly polls.

2016 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Week 5/Oct. 5)
Rank	Team	Last Week	Points
1	UCLA	1	100
2	California	2	95
3	USC	3	90
4	Pacific	4	85
5	Stanford	5	80
6	Long Beach State	6	73
7	UC Santa Barbara	7	68
8	Pepperdine	9	59
9	Bucknell	10	55
9	Harvard	8	55
11	UC Davis	10	49
12	UC San Diego	12	46
13	Princeton	14	44
14	Brown	15	35
15	Cal Baptist	16	31
16	George Washington	17	27
17	UC Irvine	13	24
18	St. Francis Brooklyn	RV	10
19	Air Force Academy	18	8
19	Pomona-Pitzer	19	8

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No. 1 UCLA Hits the Road to Face Two Ranked Teams

2016 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Week 5/Oct. 5)

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Players Mentioned

Garrett Danner

Matt Farmer

Patrick Fellner

Joey Fuentes

Eric Goldenberg

Max Irving

Daniel McClintick

Chancellor Ramirez

Ryder Roberts

Aleksandar Ruzic

Jake Simpson

Jonathan Van De Velde

James Vlachonassios

University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics

No. 1 UCLA Hits the Road to Face Two Ranked Teams

2016 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Week 5/Oct. 5)

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Garrett Danner

Matt Farmer

Patrick Fellner

Joey Fuentes

Eric Goldenberg

Max Irving

Daniel McClintick

Chancellor Ramirez

Ryder Roberts

Aleksandar Ruzic

Jake Simpson

Jonathan Van De Velde

James Vlachonassios

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