No. 1 UCLA men’s water polo looks to stay on top at SoCal Invitational

Still undefeated this season, the UCLA men’s water polo team will travel to Irvine, Calif., to compete in the SoCal Invitational. This weekend, the Bruins will play four games in the span of two days, but their opponents will be determined by the outcome of each game played.

“That’s the crazy thing about water polo,” said coach Adam Wright. “You can play four games in two days and you don’t know who you’re going to see or what’s going to happen, so we just have to be prepared for everything and anything.”

Because its opponents are yet to be determined, Wright said the team is expecting all other teams to bring their best games.

After a month of play, the Bruins have put themselves in a good position, starting the season 15-0.

UCLA has managed to beat No. 2 USC and No. 5 Cal, two teams that proved to be a challenge last season who will also be competing at this weekend’s invitational. However, the season is young, as there is more than a month and a half left of play.

“We got off to a good start, but you can’t ever be comfortable with where you are,” Wright said. “We want to get better, and the reality is that it’s a long season.”

Wright emphasized the idea of the Bruins not settling into their position, as they still have plenty of room for improvement.

In the last few weeks of practice, Wright has seen great improvements, specifically in their six-on-five play. Although the team feels it is improving in many aspects of the game, it is also aware that there is more to come.

“We are definitely in a good place right now,” said redshirt junior utility Cristiano Mirarchi. “But the season is still really long and anything can change, so it is up to us to keep fighting.”

This weekend will mark the last big tournament of the season, and the team wants to make it count.

“It’s a big tournament, so it would be really huge for us to take this one home,” said freshman attacker Jack Fellner.