LOS ANGELES – No. 1 UCLA opens the 2018 season this weekend at the UCLA Invitational at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. The Bruins will open with Fresno Pacific at 8:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, Sept. 1. UCLA will also face Whittier at 10:30 a.m. and then take on No. 17 Pomona-Pitzer at 2:15 p.m. The Bruins will conclude with an exhibition scrimmage with No. 2 USC at 4:45 p.m.
UCLA Invitational Schedule -- Saturday, Sept. 1
Who is Back?
UCLA returns four starters but just two All-Americans for the 2018 season. Redshirt junior goalkeeper and 2017 NCAA Championship MVP Alex Wolf returns as does the Bruins' leading scorer from a year ago, sophomore Nicolas Saveljic (45 goals, 4th in the MPSF). Both Wolf and Saveljic were second team All-Americans and earned honorable mention All-MPSF honors in 2017.
The Bruins also return two other starters in sophomore attacker Chasen Travisano (26 goals, 5th on team in scoring, 23rd in MPSF) and sophomore utility Evan Rosenfeld (nine goals, 13 starts). Senior attacker Austin Rone also returns (12 goals, 7th on team in scoring, 12 starts) as does sophomore center Quinten Osborne (10 goals, 8th on team, seven starts).
Also returning in 2018 and looking to contribute is senior attacker Kent Inoue (nine goals), senior defender Warren Snyder (seven goals), junior attacker James Vlachonassios (five goals), sophomore attacker Luke Henriksson (seven goals), senior attacker David Stiling (seven goals), sophomore utility Felix Brozyna-Vilim (seven goals), junior center Raphael Raede (six goals) and junior attacker Eric Goldenberg (eight goals).
Who was Waiting?
UCLA returns several redshirts that were waiting in the wings a year ago. The redshirts included Bailey Jarvis (6-4, DEF, Walnut Creek, Calif./Las Lomas HS) and Peter Lovas (6-3, ATK, Budapest, Hungary/Csik Ferenc Secondary Grammar School/Golden West College).
Who has Arrived?
UCLA head men's water polo coach Adam Wright assembled a stellar class for 2018, Arriving in Westwood this season and looking to make an immediate impact is Matthew Kacura (6-2, ATK, San Clemente, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS), Ashworth Molthen (6-3, ATK, Buena Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS), Jake Cavano (6-4, ATK, Fountain Valley, Calif./Huntington Beach HS), Michael Graner (6-0, ATK, El Segundo, Calif./Loyola HS), Danny Roland (6-3, GK, San Rafael, Calif./Sir Francis Drake HS) and Morio Saito (5-10, ATK, Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake/Santa Monica College).
Who is Gone?
UCLA lost a pair of first team All-Americans in attacker Max Irving (40 goals, 20 starts) and utility Alex Roelse (35 goals, six starts). The Bruins will also need to replace second team All-American center Matt Farmer (29 goals, 12 starts) and honorable mention All-American attacker Jack Grover (13 goals, 18 starts).
Coaching Changes
During the offseason, UCLA men's water polo hired three-time NCAA Champion and Bruin standout Jack Grover to the post of assistant coach and has added U.S. Olympian and former UCLA All-American Alex Roelse as an undergraduate assistant coach. These changes are following the 2017 promotion of Jason Falitz to associate head coach.
Wright on Deck
Adam Wright begins his 10th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2018 with an overall record of 227-37 (.860) and an MPSF mark of 51-12 (.810). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while winning the school's 112th, 113th and 114th NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. On July 20, 2017, UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wright will guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams.
Recapping 2017
Overall Record: 21-4 | Final Ranking: 1st | NCAA Finish: 1st | MPSF Tournament Finish: 2nd
The Bruins finished the 2017 season by winning the program's 11th NCAA Championship and the school's 114th overall with a 7-5 victory at USC. UCLA finished the year with a 21-4 record, culminating in its third NCAA title in the last four years. Adam Wright was named MPSF and ACWPC National Coach of the Year. Six Bruins were named All-Americans with seniors Alex Roelse and Max Irving being named to the first team. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Alex Wolf was named to the second team after being selected as the NCAA Tournament MVP. Also chosen as a second team All-American was the Bruins' leading scorer, freshman Nicolas Saveljic.
Bruins Picked to Finish First in the MPSF
Defending national champion UCLA placed on top of the 2018 MPSF Men's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Poll, collecting the maximum possible totals of 25 points and five first-place votes. The Bruins, who have captured three of the last four NCAA titles, welcome back four starters and a pair of Second Team All-Americans from last year's 21-4 team. Junior goalkeeper and 2017 NCAA Championship MVP Alex Wolf returns as does sophomore team leading scorer Nicolas Saveljic (45 goals, MPSF 4th). Coming off an MPSF Championship and a 13th-straight NCAA Final appearance, USC finished second in the poll with 21 points and the remaining first-place vote. Only one true senior is on the Trojan roster this year in Zach D'Sa, who scored a career-best 26 goals for last year's 27-4 squad. USC also returns All-Americans Matt Maier and Marko Vavic, as well as Olympian Thomas Dunstan. Vavic was one of three players in the MPSF last year to put away at least 50 goals. California placed third in the poll with 16 points. The Bears return two of the nation's most prolific scorers from last year's NCAA Semifinal team in senior First Team All-American Johnny Hooper (47 goals) and senior Second-Team All-American Odysseas Masmanidis (40 goals). Olympians Hooper and Masmanidis both finished 2017 in the MPSF's top-six in scoring average. Stanford took fourth in the poll with 14 points. Led by First Team All-American and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Ben Hallock (54 goals, MPSF 2nd) and two-time All-American Blake Parrish (36 goals), the Cardinal welcomes back its top two scorers from last year's top-seeded MPSF Tournament team. Penn State Behrend had nine points to place fifth. Kyle Frerichs (20 goals), Isaak Hatopp (14 goals), and goalkeeper Matt Olimski (246 saves) are amongst the top returnees. The Lions will make their third appearance in the MPSF Championship Tournament. Austin College rounds out the preseason poll, transitioning from club status to its first-ever season on the NCAA level. Sophomores Andrew Pomier (GK) and Robert Griffin are projected as key starters after club level success. As with Penn State Behrend, the Kangaroos will not partake in the MPSF's regular season, but will compete in the postseason conference tournament.
UCLA Preseason No. 1
The Bruins, who claimed the 2017 NCAA Championship, fell one point shy of rating as a unanimous preseason No. 1 selection as UCLA picked up 99 points in the 2018 CWPA Preseason National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll. USC (96 points) remains at No. 2 after finishing as the runner-up at the NCAA Championship, while California (89 points), Stanford (86 points) and Pacific (81 points) ranked third through fifith, respectively, as the top five spots in the final 2017 poll remain consistent entering the 2018 season.
UCLA Invitational Schedule -- Saturday, Sept. 1
| 8:00 a.m. | No. 1 UCLA | Fresno Pacific |
| 9:15 a.m. | No. 2 USC | No. 17 Pomona-Pitzer |
| 10:30 a.m. | No. 1 UCLA | Whittier |
| 11:45 a.m. | No. 17 Pomona-Pitzer | Fresno Pacific |
| 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 USC | Whittier |
| 2:15 p.m. | No. 1 UCLA | No. 17 Pomona-Pitzer |
| 3:30 p.m. | Whittier | Fresno Pacific |
| 4:45 p.m. (Exhibition) | No. 1 UCLA | No. 2 USC |
Who is Back?
UCLA returns four starters but just two All-Americans for the 2018 season. Redshirt junior goalkeeper and 2017 NCAA Championship MVP Alex Wolf returns as does the Bruins' leading scorer from a year ago, sophomore Nicolas Saveljic (45 goals, 4th in the MPSF). Both Wolf and Saveljic were second team All-Americans and earned honorable mention All-MPSF honors in 2017.
The Bruins also return two other starters in sophomore attacker Chasen Travisano (26 goals, 5th on team in scoring, 23rd in MPSF) and sophomore utility Evan Rosenfeld (nine goals, 13 starts). Senior attacker Austin Rone also returns (12 goals, 7th on team in scoring, 12 starts) as does sophomore center Quinten Osborne (10 goals, 8th on team, seven starts).
Also returning in 2018 and looking to contribute is senior attacker Kent Inoue (nine goals), senior defender Warren Snyder (seven goals), junior attacker James Vlachonassios (five goals), sophomore attacker Luke Henriksson (seven goals), senior attacker David Stiling (seven goals), sophomore utility Felix Brozyna-Vilim (seven goals), junior center Raphael Raede (six goals) and junior attacker Eric Goldenberg (eight goals).
Who was Waiting?
UCLA returns several redshirts that were waiting in the wings a year ago. The redshirts included Bailey Jarvis (6-4, DEF, Walnut Creek, Calif./Las Lomas HS) and Peter Lovas (6-3, ATK, Budapest, Hungary/Csik Ferenc Secondary Grammar School/Golden West College).
Who has Arrived?
UCLA head men's water polo coach Adam Wright assembled a stellar class for 2018, Arriving in Westwood this season and looking to make an immediate impact is Matthew Kacura (6-2, ATK, San Clemente, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS), Ashworth Molthen (6-3, ATK, Buena Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS), Jake Cavano (6-4, ATK, Fountain Valley, Calif./Huntington Beach HS), Michael Graner (6-0, ATK, El Segundo, Calif./Loyola HS), Danny Roland (6-3, GK, San Rafael, Calif./Sir Francis Drake HS) and Morio Saito (5-10, ATK, Los Angeles, Calif./Harvard-Westlake/Santa Monica College).
Who is Gone?
UCLA lost a pair of first team All-Americans in attacker Max Irving (40 goals, 20 starts) and utility Alex Roelse (35 goals, six starts). The Bruins will also need to replace second team All-American center Matt Farmer (29 goals, 12 starts) and honorable mention All-American attacker Jack Grover (13 goals, 18 starts).
Coaching Changes
During the offseason, UCLA men's water polo hired three-time NCAA Champion and Bruin standout Jack Grover to the post of assistant coach and has added U.S. Olympian and former UCLA All-American Alex Roelse as an undergraduate assistant coach. These changes are following the 2017 promotion of Jason Falitz to associate head coach.
Wright on Deck
Adam Wright begins his 10th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2018 with an overall record of 227-37 (.860) and an MPSF mark of 51-12 (.810). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while winning the school's 112th, 113th and 114th NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. On July 20, 2017, UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wright will guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams.
Recapping 2017
Overall Record: 21-4 | Final Ranking: 1st | NCAA Finish: 1st | MPSF Tournament Finish: 2nd
The Bruins finished the 2017 season by winning the program's 11th NCAA Championship and the school's 114th overall with a 7-5 victory at USC. UCLA finished the year with a 21-4 record, culminating in its third NCAA title in the last four years. Adam Wright was named MPSF and ACWPC National Coach of the Year. Six Bruins were named All-Americans with seniors Alex Roelse and Max Irving being named to the first team. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Alex Wolf was named to the second team after being selected as the NCAA Tournament MVP. Also chosen as a second team All-American was the Bruins' leading scorer, freshman Nicolas Saveljic.
Bruins Picked to Finish First in the MPSF
Defending national champion UCLA placed on top of the 2018 MPSF Men's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' Poll, collecting the maximum possible totals of 25 points and five first-place votes. The Bruins, who have captured three of the last four NCAA titles, welcome back four starters and a pair of Second Team All-Americans from last year's 21-4 team. Junior goalkeeper and 2017 NCAA Championship MVP Alex Wolf returns as does sophomore team leading scorer Nicolas Saveljic (45 goals, MPSF 4th). Coming off an MPSF Championship and a 13th-straight NCAA Final appearance, USC finished second in the poll with 21 points and the remaining first-place vote. Only one true senior is on the Trojan roster this year in Zach D'Sa, who scored a career-best 26 goals for last year's 27-4 squad. USC also returns All-Americans Matt Maier and Marko Vavic, as well as Olympian Thomas Dunstan. Vavic was one of three players in the MPSF last year to put away at least 50 goals. California placed third in the poll with 16 points. The Bears return two of the nation's most prolific scorers from last year's NCAA Semifinal team in senior First Team All-American Johnny Hooper (47 goals) and senior Second-Team All-American Odysseas Masmanidis (40 goals). Olympians Hooper and Masmanidis both finished 2017 in the MPSF's top-six in scoring average. Stanford took fourth in the poll with 14 points. Led by First Team All-American and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Ben Hallock (54 goals, MPSF 2nd) and two-time All-American Blake Parrish (36 goals), the Cardinal welcomes back its top two scorers from last year's top-seeded MPSF Tournament team. Penn State Behrend had nine points to place fifth. Kyle Frerichs (20 goals), Isaak Hatopp (14 goals), and goalkeeper Matt Olimski (246 saves) are amongst the top returnees. The Lions will make their third appearance in the MPSF Championship Tournament. Austin College rounds out the preseason poll, transitioning from club status to its first-ever season on the NCAA level. Sophomores Andrew Pomier (GK) and Robert Griffin are projected as key starters after club level success. As with Penn State Behrend, the Kangaroos will not partake in the MPSF's regular season, but will compete in the postseason conference tournament.
2018 MPSF Coaches' Preseason Poll
| Team | Points (1st Place) | 2017 Record | 2017 MPSF Tourney | 2017 NCAA Finish |
| UCLA | 25 (5) | 21-4 | 2nd | Champions |
| USC | 21 (1) | 27-4 | 1st | 2nd |
| California | 16 | 20-4 | 3rd | T-3rd |
| Stanford | 14 | 19-5 | 4th | n/a |
| Penn State Behrend | 9 | 6-15 | 5th | n/a |
| Austin College | 5 | First Year | First Year | First Year |
UCLA Preseason No. 1
The Bruins, who claimed the 2017 NCAA Championship, fell one point shy of rating as a unanimous preseason No. 1 selection as UCLA picked up 99 points in the 2018 CWPA Preseason National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll. USC (96 points) remains at No. 2 after finishing as the runner-up at the NCAA Championship, while California (89 points), Stanford (86 points) and Pacific (81 points) ranked third through fifith, respectively, as the top five spots in the final 2017 poll remain consistent entering the 2018 season.
2018 MEN'S VARSITY TOP 20 (PRESEASON) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2017 Poll | Points |
| 1 | UCLA | 1 | 99 |
| 2 | USC | 2 | 96 |
| 3 | California | 3 | 89 |
| 4 | Stanford | 4 | 86 |
| 5 | Pacific | 5 | 81 |
| 6 | Long Beach State | 7 | 71 |
| 7 | UC Davis | 8 | 68 |
| 8 | Pepperdine | 9 | 63 |
| 9 | UC Irvine | 6 | 60 |
| 10 | UC Santa Barbara | 10 | 59 |
| 11 | Harvard | 11 (T) | 50 |
| 12 | UC San Diego | 13 | 43 |
| 13 | Princeton | 14 | 40 |
| 14 | San Jose State | 11 (T) | 37 |
| 15 | Brown | 15 | 34 |
| 16 | Cal Baptist | 16 | 24 |
| 17 | Pomona-Pitzer | 18 | 18 |
| 18 | George Washington | 17 | 12 |
| 19 | St. Francis Brooklyn | 19 | 10 |
| 20 (T) | Air Force | RV | 4 |
| 20 (T) | Bucknell | 20 | 4 |
| 20 (T) | Wagner | RV | 4 |
| RV | Concordia | RV | 2 |
PLAYERS MENTIONED
#12 Matt Farmer
- C
- 6' 3"
- 206 lbs
- Senior
#4 Jack Grover
- ATK
- 5' 10"
- 180 lbs
- Senior
#19 Max Irving
- ATK
- 6' 0"
- 180 lbs
- Senior
#11 Alex Roelse
- UTL
- 6' 7"
- 250 lbs
- Senior
#13 Felix Brozyna-Vilim
- UTL
- 6' 5"
- 250 lbs
- Sophomore
#5 Eric Goldenberg
- ATK
- 6' 0"
- 190 lbs
- Redshirt Junior
#9 Luke Henriksson
- ATK
- 5' 11"
- 175 lbs
- Sophomore
#24 Kent Inoue
- ATK
- 6' 1"
- 230 lbs
- Senior
#15 Bailey Jarvis
- D
- 6' 4"
- 205 lbs
- Redshirt Freshman
#22 Peter Lovas
- ATK
- 6' 3"
- 200 lbs
- Redshirt Sophomore
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