IRVINE, Calif. — Fifth-ranked Pacific used an impressive defensive effort in the title game of the 2017 Golden Coast Conference Men's Water Polo Championships, helping them to a 9-5 win over UC Irvine on Sunday night. With the win, the Tigers earn the GCC automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.

BOX SCORE | GCC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Alen Osmanovic (SO/Belgrade, Servia) finished the night with 12 saves, Ben Stevenson (SR/Reno, NV) had five steals to go with his three goals and three assists and Luke Paviliard added three more steals and a pair of goals. Pacific (19-5) claims their first GCC tournament title in the league's second year.

UC Irvine (15-10) was led by goalie Matej Matijevic (SR/Zagreb, Croatia) with 12 saves. All five of their goals were scored by a different player.

Defense set the tone early as Pacific led 1-0 after the first. Kyle Tursh tied it for the Anteaters with 6:49 to play in the half. Deveon Thumwood and Stevenson would score back-to-back goals to give the Tigers a two-goal lead, a lead they would not let go of.

UC Irvine would cut the lead to 3-2 on a Jon Polos (SO/Newport Beach, CA) goal with 34 seconds to play in the half. However, the Tigers answered right back with a goal by Engin Ege Colak (SO/Istanbul, Turkey) with 16 seconds to play. The scoring wasn't done as UCI cut the lead back to one, 4-3, on a goal by Brendan Duffy (SR/Cupertino, CA) with three seconds left.

The Tigers would get some separation to start the second half, scoring back-to-back goals in the third quarter. The Anteaters managed to cut the lead to 6-4 with 1:10 left in the quarter, but would get no closer.

Pacific's defense allowed just two goals in the second half and they outscored the Anteaters 5-2 in the process.

For the first time in the Golden Coast Conference's two-year existence, the tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship, which will be held Dec. 2-3 at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center.