The No. 9 UCSB men’s water polo team fell to No. 1 USC, 17-5, in its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener Saturday at USC’s McDonald’s Swim Stadium. Ten Trojans scored in the rout.

With the loss, UCSB falls to 7-4 overall this season and 0-1 in the MPSF. The Trojans remain undefeated: 12-0 overall and 2-0 in the MPSF.

UCSB scored first with 5:58 on the clock in the first quarter on a six-on-five goal from sophomore Milos Golic. The Trojans tied the game at 1-1 during the next possession with a man-up goal of their own. The score remained deadlocked through the next five and half minutes before Jordan Thompson scored with just five seconds to go, giving USC a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first.

USC opened the scoring in the second quarter with another power play goal from Peter Kruzeka to stretch the lead to 3-1. A little over a minute later, Jesse Tootell found the back of the net to put UCSB back within one at 3-2. Two unanswered goals from 2008 Olympic silver medalist J.W. Krumpholz ensued before Golic capitalized on a six-on-five opportunity and cut the Trojans’ lead to 5-3. That would be the last goal of the first half for UCSB as USC poured on two more to take a 7-3 lead into halftime.

The Gauchos managed just two more goals over the next 16 minutes, Golic’s third and a point from Michael Machado, as the Trojans outscored UCSB 10-2 in the second half.

USC was led by Krumpholz’s four goals while Matt Sagehorn chipped in a hat trick. In the goal, Joel Dennerley led the Trojans with five saves.

Golic tallied a hat trick in the loss, staying true to his MPSF-leading three goals-per-game average. The game marked Golic’s 15th straight with a goal and his ninth multiple-goal showing of 2008. In the goal, sophomore Fraser Bunn collected seven saves.

UCSB will play at No. 8 UC Irvine on Sunday in a MPSF game.

USC 17, UCSB 5
                1         2         3         4         Final
UCSB           1         2         1         1         5
USC             2         5         6         4         17

UCSB Goals: Milos Golic 3, Jesse Tootell 1, Michael Machado 1
UCSB Goalie Saves: Fraser Bunn 7

USC Goals: J.W. Krumpholz 4, Matt Sagehorn 3, Shea Buckner 2, Elliot Samuels 2, Justin Rappel 1, Peter Kurzeka 1, Nico Sardo 1, Arjan Ligtenberg 1, Tom Money 1, Jordan Thompson 1
USC Goalie Saves: Joel Dennerley 5, Benjamin Well 4

Lisa Skvarla is UCSB‘s assistant media relations director.