MALIBU, Calif. (Sept. 13, 2023) — The UC Santa Barbara Men's Water Polo team continues their non-conference schedule on the road this week, making a trip to Malibu for a pair of games Thursday afternoon. The No. 11(T) Gauchos (6-3) will face Westcliff (1-3) then No. 4 Pepperdine (5-1) in back-to-back contests.
 
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
Both games will be held at Pepperdine's Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool in Malibu. The Gauchos' first game of the day, against Westcliff, is set to start at 2:30 p.m., with the contest against Pepperdine set for 5 p.m.
 
Live stats will be available for both games through ucsbgauchos.com, but only the 5 p.m. game between the Gauchos and Waves will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara comes into Thursday's action with a. 6-3 record and riding a five-game winning streak after a perfect weekend at the Inland Empire Classic. The Gauchos set school records for goals in a game and margin of victory to open the weekend, winning 34-2 against the same Westcliff team they will face Thursday afternoon. UC Santa Barbara went on to defeat Biola, Austin College, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Cal Lutheran, scoring 17 or more goals in each game, including a second 30-goal output against Austin College. Centers Dash McFarland and James Oriskovich led the scoring over the weekend, with McFarland tallying 22 goals and Oriskovich 20. Oriskovich scored half of those goals in a single game, accounting for 10 of his team's 30 goals against Austin College. Nine games into the season, McFarland leads the team with 34 goals, already two away from matching his career best.
 
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Last weekend was Westcliff's first action of the season and one of their toughest tests, as the defending NAIA National Champions took on No. 11 UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton and No. 8 Long Beach State in their first three games, losing all three. The Warriors did get a win in their most recent match, defeating Riverside Community College, 24-11, in their final action of the weekend. Three players recorded hat-tricks in that victory, including seven-goal games from Andrej Maodus and Adam Hodi. Maodus also recorded a hat-trick against Long Beach State and currently leads the team with 12 goals. Giorgi Khizanishvili also tallied four goals against the Beach.
 
SCOUTING THE WAVES
Despite suffering their first loss of the season last week, Pepperdine leapt up the Collegiate Water Polo Association's national rankings, from tied for eighth to fourth in the country. That climb is because, despite falling to No. 1 California last Sunday, it was by a single goal in double overtime. Not only did the Waves hold the defending National Champions to season lows in goals and shooting percentage, but they were the ones who forced overtime, scoring just before the final buzzer. The day prior, Pepperdine dismantled then-No. 14 Loyola Marymount, 17-6, at the Lions' home pool, thanks in part to a familiar face — UC Santa Barbara graduate Ryan Brosnan. The former Gaucho tallied a hat-trick against LMU and two more goals against Cal to bring his season total to 10. He also leads the Waves in both assists (14) and points (24).