UC Irvine head coach Marc Hunt has a solid corps of veteran players as the Anteaters prepare for the 2015 season.

UCI has seven home contests, in addition to the Alumni Game, on this year’s schedule. Admission is free to all UCI men’s water polo home games.

The ‘Eaters open the season at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, facing defending national champion UCLA and Loyola Marymount Sept. 5, and USC and Air Force on Sept. 6.

UCI plays a pair of games in the Inland Empire Classic at Redlands Sept. 12, meeting Redlands and Whittier College.

After traveling to California Baptist Sept. 16, the ‘Eaters journey to Stanford for the NorCal Tournament Sept. 19-20.

The home portion of the schedule opens against UC San Diego Oct. 1 before Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action begins Oct. 3 with a home game versus Black & Blue rival Long Beach State.

The SoCal tourney is Oct. 10-11 at Malibu and the ‘Eaters travel to Pacific Oct. 17 and California Oct. 18 for MPSF games.

The Alumni Game is Oct. 24 and UCLA invades the Anteater Aquatics Complex the following day (Oct. 25) for an MPSF contest.

UCI travels to UC Santa Barbara Oct. 31 before a three-game homestand against Stanford Nov. 1, Concordia Nov. 4 and new MPSF member San Jose State Nov. 7.

The ‘Eaters play at USC Nov. 8 before closing out the regular season hosting Pepperdine Nov. 13.

USC is hosting the MPSF Tournament Nov. 20-22.

The Anteaters return their top three scorers from last season, led by junior Lovre Milos and sophomore Matt Skinner, who were honorable mention All-Americans in 2014. Milos topped UCI with 92 goals (second in the MPSF) and Skinner added 49 goals. Kyle Trush, a junior this season, scored 36 goals while senior Jared Osborn added 27 to rank fifth on the team.

Skinner competed for Australia in the World University Games this summer while senior Pablo Carballo, who scored 11 goals last season, played for Mexico in the Pan Am Games.

Expected to make an immediate impact for UCI this season is Antoine Lena, who was All-NorCal MVP and an All-American at Diablo Valley College, and also has had experience with the French National Team. Jack Trush, younger brother of Kyle, will be a freshman for the ‘Eaters after earning All-American and All-CIF first team honors at Corona del Mar High School, where he was Pacific Coast League MVP.

UCI’s goalie unit should be deep again with the return of senior Dylan Peterson and sophomore Byron Rivers, who each played in 20 games last season.

The Anteaters also signed goalie Benoit Viollier, who was Central Coast Section MVP at Saint Francis High in Mountain View, Calif., last season.

http://ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-wpolo/2015-16/releases/201508103aijtx