LONG BEACH -- Third-seed and sixth-ranked Long Beach State earned a 10-6 win over top-seed and ninth-ranked Pacific in the 2018 Golden Coast Conference Men's Water Polo Championships title game, earning the league tournament title and with it the automatic bid to the National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championships.

It is the sixth straight win for the hot 49ers (13-11), who become the league's third different tournament champion in the three year history of the GCC. Pepperdine won in 2016 and Pacific in 2017. The 49ers outscored Pacific 7-3 following first quarter when game was tied 3-3.

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Austin Stewart led all scorers with four goals. Troy Kaltenbach added a pair for the 49ers. Goalie Marwan Darwish had nine more saves on the day, giving him 24 for the two games in the tournament, as the 49ers held Pacific to 1-for-11 on 6-on-5 opportunities and to just 6-for-32 shooting (18.8 percent).

Luis Araua and Luke Pavillard had two goals each for Pacific (12-12).

With 1:50 remaining in the first half, Colak would give Pacific a 4-3 lead on an even strength goal. Kaltenbach would answer for the 49ers with just 39 seconds remaning in the half to tie the game at 4-4.

His goal would start a four-goal run for the 49ers as they would stretch the lead to 7-4 with additional goals from Max Cusator, Stewart, and Theodoros Pateros. The final goal of the run came with 1:05 to play in the third.

Pacific's Player of the Year Pavillard would answer 14 seconds later to end the run, cutting the lead to 7-5 heading into the fourth quarter. Then with 4:04 to play in the game, Luis Araya made it a one-goal game, 7-6, with an even strength goal.

Long Beach State would answer with back-to-back goals to put the game at arms length. Stewart made it 8-6 with 3:41 to play and Kaltenbach made it 9-6 with 2:01 remaining. Stewart would add his fourth goal of the game for the final margin.