LONG BEACH - Three games have been played in the 2018 Golden Coast Conference Men's Water Polo Championships and all three came down to the very end, including both semifinals decided by a single goal.

The latest came in the second semifinal as two-time GCC Player of the Year Luke Pavillard led top-seed and ninth-ranked Pacific to a 9-8 win over number four seed and 14th-ranked UC Irvine on Saturday afternoon.

The Tigers (12-11) advance to the title game against host Long Beach State on #ChampionshipSunday at 1 pm, and will look to become the league's first repeat champion. UC Irvine (9-16) will face Pepperdine in the third place game at 11 am.

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The game would feature four lead changes and five ties as the teams went back-and-forth from the start. Pavillard and fellow All-GCC first-team selection Engin Ege Colak led the Tigers with three goals each. UCI was led by Casey Lynton and Jack Trush with two goals each.

After Pacific opened a 2-0 lead to start the game, UC Irvine closed the first half with three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead into halftime. The Tigers would then open the second half with back-to-back goals to take a 4-3 lead. 

The teams would trade goals into the fourth quarter as it was tied at 4-4 and against at 5-5. Back-to-back goals by UC Irvine, after they trailed 5-4, gave them their final lead of the game at 6-5 with 7:42 to play in the game.

The Tigers would then create some space in the game with a three-goal run that proved to be the difference. 

Colak would tie the game, 6-6 with 5:17 to play. Luis Araya scored possibly the most acrobatic goal of the tournament to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead with 4:37 to play. Pavillard then came up with a huge goal with 3:48 to play for a two-goal cushion.

The teams would trade goals again to make it 8-7 after UCI's Trush scored with 2:14 to play, followed by Pavillard doing it again for the two-goal cushion. 

GCC Newcomer of the Year Jason Evezard scored with 1:23 to play to make it 9-8. UCI had a chance to tie but Pacific's defense held to advance to #ChampionshipSunday.

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