Friday, November 19
Irvine, Calif.
7:00 p.m. PT
Pepperdine University
vs
San Jose State (GCC 1st Round)
Christian Hosea
Photo by: Jeff Golden
GCC Water Polo Championships Begin Friday
11/17/2021 3:06:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MALIBU, California — The #9 Pepperdine men's water polo team has earned the fifth seed at this weekend's Golden Coast Conference Championships and will face fourth-seeded and eighth-ranked San Jose State in the opening round. The Waves will need three wins in three days in Irvine to win the tournament for a record third time and earn the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championships.
GAME #27 — Friday (Nov. 19) at the Anteater Aquatics Complex in Irvine, Calif.: #9 Pepperdine (14-12, 1-4) vs. #8 San Jose State (15-14, 2-3) at 7 p.m.
NEXT — If the Waves defeat the Spartans, they'll face top-seeded and fifth-ranked Long Beach State in the semifinals on Saturday (Nov. 20) at 7 p.m. The championship match is Sunday (Nov. 21) at 2 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — The GCC Championships will be streamed by UC Irvine. Links to broadcasts and live stats will be available at PepperdineWaves.com.
GCC TOURNAMENT HISTORY — There have been four previous GCC Tournaments and the Waves are the only school to have won multiple titles. Pepperdine won the inaugural tournament in 2016 and the most recent crown in 2019. There was no tournament in 2020. The Waves' all-time record at the event is 7-3.
OPPONENT — Pepperdine is 21-6 all-time against San Jose State. The Spartans won both meetings this season by close margins (10-9 and 11-9). In the spring, the Waves beat the Spartans four out of five times to claim the GCC crown (they were the only two teams competing last season). Pepperdine is 1-0 against San Jose State at the GCC Championships (2017 first round).
LAST WEEK — The Waves closed out the regular season with a 16-13 loss at #6 UC Santa Barbara. Jake Howerton scored four goals and Christian Hosea and Balazs Kosa each had three. It was tied at 10 late in the third, but the Gauchos scored the next three goals and the Waves would only get the deficit back within one in the fourth quarter.
HONORS — Balazs Kosa made the All-GCC first team for the third straight season ... Sean Ferrari, Nicholas Fichman and Nico Tierney all received All-GCC honorable mention ... Jake Howerton was named GCC Player of the Week on October 7. He had 11 goals in three victories, including a career-high five goals in the win against #2 California.
MILESTONES & MOMENTS — Pepperdine's 16-14 home win over #2 California on October 3 was the program's first over a top-two ranked team since 2008 (#2 Stanford) .. On September 18 against Princeton, Balazs Kosa became the 12th Wave ever to record 200 goals ... On September 16 against UC Santa Barbara, Sean Ferrari became the 43rd Wave to hit the century mark in career goals ... In both of Pepperdine's overtime wins, the Waves trailed by a goal in the final minute of OT. The Waves beat LMU on September 12, 11-10, after scoring goals with 15 seconds left and with one second left. The Waves beat UC Davis, 13-12, on October 29 after scoring goals with 47 seconds and four seconds left to tie it, and then went on to win in sudden death.
GCC STATS — Balasz Kosa is first in assists (49) and points (96) ... Sean Ferrari is fifth in assists (30) and eighth in points (71) ... John Claude Marco is second in saves (213).
KOSA — Senior attacker Balazs Kosa is putting together one of the best careers in Pepperdine history. He's a three-time All-American, making the third team in 2018, the second team in 2019 and the first team in 2020-21. He led the country in scoring during the abbreviated spring 2021 season, scoring 39 times in 14 games. He scored 93 goals in the full 2019 season. Kosa ranks sixth all-time at Pepperdine with 232 career goals.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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GAME #27 — Friday (Nov. 19) at the Anteater Aquatics Complex in Irvine, Calif.: #9 Pepperdine (14-12, 1-4) vs. #8 San Jose State (15-14, 2-3) at 7 p.m.
NEXT — If the Waves defeat the Spartans, they'll face top-seeded and fifth-ranked Long Beach State in the semifinals on Saturday (Nov. 20) at 7 p.m. The championship match is Sunday (Nov. 21) at 2 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — The GCC Championships will be streamed by UC Irvine. Links to broadcasts and live stats will be available at PepperdineWaves.com.
GCC TOURNAMENT HISTORY — There have been four previous GCC Tournaments and the Waves are the only school to have won multiple titles. Pepperdine won the inaugural tournament in 2016 and the most recent crown in 2019. There was no tournament in 2020. The Waves' all-time record at the event is 7-3.
OPPONENT — Pepperdine is 21-6 all-time against San Jose State. The Spartans won both meetings this season by close margins (10-9 and 11-9). In the spring, the Waves beat the Spartans four out of five times to claim the GCC crown (they were the only two teams competing last season). Pepperdine is 1-0 against San Jose State at the GCC Championships (2017 first round).
LAST WEEK — The Waves closed out the regular season with a 16-13 loss at #6 UC Santa Barbara. Jake Howerton scored four goals and Christian Hosea and Balazs Kosa each had three. It was tied at 10 late in the third, but the Gauchos scored the next three goals and the Waves would only get the deficit back within one in the fourth quarter.
HONORS — Balazs Kosa made the All-GCC first team for the third straight season ... Sean Ferrari, Nicholas Fichman and Nico Tierney all received All-GCC honorable mention ... Jake Howerton was named GCC Player of the Week on October 7. He had 11 goals in three victories, including a career-high five goals in the win against #2 California.
MILESTONES & MOMENTS — Pepperdine's 16-14 home win over #2 California on October 3 was the program's first over a top-two ranked team since 2008 (#2 Stanford) .. On September 18 against Princeton, Balazs Kosa became the 12th Wave ever to record 200 goals ... On September 16 against UC Santa Barbara, Sean Ferrari became the 43rd Wave to hit the century mark in career goals ... In both of Pepperdine's overtime wins, the Waves trailed by a goal in the final minute of OT. The Waves beat LMU on September 12, 11-10, after scoring goals with 15 seconds left and with one second left. The Waves beat UC Davis, 13-12, on October 29 after scoring goals with 47 seconds and four seconds left to tie it, and then went on to win in sudden death.
GCC STATS — Balasz Kosa is first in assists (49) and points (96) ... Sean Ferrari is fifth in assists (30) and eighth in points (71) ... John Claude Marco is second in saves (213).
KOSA — Senior attacker Balazs Kosa is putting together one of the best careers in Pepperdine history. He's a three-time All-American, making the third team in 2018, the second team in 2019 and the first team in 2020-21. He led the country in scoring during the abbreviated spring 2021 season, scoring 39 times in 14 games. He scored 93 goals in the full 2019 season. Kosa ranks sixth all-time at Pepperdine with 232 career goals.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
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Players Mentioned
ATK/UT
/ Men's Water Polo
C
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water Polo
CD
/ Men's Water Polo
