DAVIS, Calif. — Following a home battle with Cal last Sunday, UC Davis men's water polo takes its first trip to the Bay this season for the annual MPSF Overnght Invitational from Sept. 18-20. Action begins at 6:00 pm PT against No. 13 UC Irvine and the Aggies will move on to play either Cal or LMU on Saturday, Sept. 19.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Sept. 18  — vs. No. 13 UC Irvine | @ucdavismwp (X/Instagram)


GAME NOTES

• Last Time Out: The Aggies are 7-3 on the year following a 7-19 loss against Cal at home last Sunday. The matchup with the Bears saw three different Aggies go for a pair of goals, including Thomas Kiesling, Lucas Wulfhorst, and Lucas Ruano.
• Two in a row for Wulfhorst: 17 goals across the five games in the Aggie Roundup gave Wulfhorst the WCC Newcomer of the Week for the second straight week. His performance over the weekend was highlighted by a seven-goal performance against No. 18 Harvard, the second most in a single game in program history.
• Wulfhorst has the WCC's attention: With nine goals in his first four collegiate games, Aggie freshman Lucas Wulfhorst was named the WCC's Newcomer of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 1 for the first week of the season. This weekly award is the first for the Aggies since 2024.
• A New Look Schaal: In preparation to host the NCAA Championships in 2027, Schaal Aquatics Center got some upgrades during the offseason. The highlight was the building of a brand new video board in the northwest corner of the pool, creating a more modernized experience for all fans to enjoy.
• Looking back on 2025: The 2025 season was one to remember for Aggie water polo, featuring the team's first Big West championship in their three year history in the conference and their tenth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. This success saw a number of postseason awards for the Aggies, including Coach of the Year honors for head coach Daniel Leyson, and all-conference honors for five different players.
• Elevating to the West Coast: In July 2025, UC Davis announced that their men's water polo and beach volleyball programs would make the transition to the West Coast Conference (WCC) for the 2026-27 season, in coordination with many Aggie programs moving to the Mountain West Conference. For men's water polo, this is the third conference realignment they've been a part of since 1994, going from the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) to the Big West Conference in 2023.
• Cross Country Aggies: UC Davis continues to expand its blueprint in the water polo world by traveling to play games on the East Coast for the first time since 2021, when the team played at the Navy Open in Maryland. It's also the third time the team has played in the Bruno Classic, competing in the tournament in 2018 and 2016.
• The Two Time All-American Returns: Leading the team with 65 goals and 79 points last season, redshirt junior Thomas Kiesling was rewarded for his efforts by being named a Third Team All-American by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) in December. This was his second straight All-American award, being an Honorable Mention in 2024. Now in his third season with the program, he hopes to make it three straight honors in 2026.
• Elite-Scholar Athlete: On December 4, 2025, then junior Timothy Kerr received the highest academic honor an NCAA student-athlete can receive when he was given the National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Elite-Scholar Athlete award after achieving a 4.0 GPA in Electrical Engineering. With this honor, he was just one of eight student-athletes in NCAA fall 2025 sports to receive this prestigious award.
• 2026 Preseason Poll: With a strong 2025 under their belt, UC Davis was picked to finish second in their inaugural WCC campaign, receiving 42 points and two first place votes.
• 2025 Recap: The Aggies finished 2025 with a 15-13 record, rattling off three straight wins in the Big West Tournament to win the conference before falling to Stanford in the NCAA Tournament.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

• UC Irvine comes into the weekend at 7-3 after dropping a pair of games against the top two teams in the nation last week. At home versus No. 1 UCLA on Friday, they had a second half rally that put them just two goals short, 14-16, after the final whistle.
• The 'Eaters have scored at least 12 goals in each of their first 10 games this season, averaging 15.8 goals per game. Eight UCI players have already reached double-digit goal totals through the first three weeks. Seniors Wyley Dale and Johann Thrall lead the team with 19 goals apiece, with Dale totaling 24 points on five assists and Thrall adding seven assists for 21 points.
• Freshman Nico Assalian has started five of the team's 10 games this season, compiling a 4-1 record. He has played 176 minutes in goal, recording 48 saves, seven assists, and six steals while posting an 10.00 goals-against average and a .466 save percentage. Sophomore Vincent Vega has appeared in four games, including three starts, totaling 96 minutes in goal. He has recorded 30 saves, two assists, and two steals, along with a 8.33 goals-against average and a .545 save percentage.
• UC Davis is 4-10 all-time against UC Irvine, with the series dating back to 2005. As Big West Conference opponents last season, the Aggies outlasted the Anteaters 15-12 in Irvine.
• No matter the outcome of tomorrow's game, Davis will play either California or LMU on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 9:20 am PT. The Aggies will then play another contest on Saturday afternoon before wrapping up on Sunday, Sept. 20 to determine their place in the 16 team tournament.

SEASON NOTES

• This season is number 14 for six-time Coach of the Year winner Daniel Leyson.
• Leyson retains his coaching staff from last year with fifth year assistant Nick Alden and seventh year staff member Joey Frantz. Alden works primarily with operations and as the team's recruiting coordinator while Frantz serves as goalkeepers coach.
• Many high level players return from last season, including Kiesling, Kerr, 2025 Big West Tournament MVP Baxter Chelsom, and Oriol Viñas.
• New faces include Andonis Petroutsas from Cuesta College, Jacob Carrera, Jaden Joemtree, and Cassius Wolf.
• Coming off of a conference championship last season, the team looks to go back-to-back as they step into the WCC.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.