The No. 3 USC Trojans defeated No. 11 UC Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center 16-8, improving their record to 6-1 on the season. Next, they handled Golden West College in an exhibition match to round out the weekend.

The Trojans jumped out to a 5-1 lead at the end of the first quarter against UC Santa Barbara and didn’t look back, never leading by less than four for the rest of the game. UC Santa Barbara was unable to build any significant momentum due in large part to the Trojans’ efforts on the defensive end.

“We expect to play every game like this,“ said Head Coach Marko Pintaric in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “They played in every aspect, protecting the goalie, played solid defense and this is the way we have expectations.”

Senior driver Carson Kranz and junior 2-meter Luka Brnetic each scored 3 goals to lead the way offensively for the Trojans, a season-high for both players. Kranz, a three-time All-MPSF Honorable Mention and one of two USC captains, also led the team with two blocks.

“Obviously, last weekend we didn’t play as well as we hoped against Cal. We really wanted to come out fired up, hit the reset button and really just destroy the team,” Kranz said. “The big thing for us is building the killer mindset throughout the season and that’s something we’re improving on.”

Kranz’s first goal came in the second period to give USC its largest lead of the half at 8-1. He then scored in the third period via penalty and again in the fourth.

“A lot of visualizing throughout the week,” Kranz said, in regards to his preparation before the game. “Journaling, writing down each day what I did after practice, what I need to work on and really studying the other opponent, I think those were all factors in why I played good today.”

The Trojans’ second game of the day was against Golden West. USC struggled initially, falling behind early and entered the half tied 6-6. However, the Trojans pulled away in the third quarter, eventually winning 13-8.

Though the contest was an exhibition, Pintaric emphasized the importance of not overlooking any game the team plays.

“We really try to communicate excellence in everything we do, to really prepare for every opponent the same way,” Pintaric said. “We didn’t execute in the second game, not even close to the same intensity as the first game. And for that reason the game was closer until the end.”

Pintaric used this opportunity to get in-game minutes for many of his less experienced players, including freshman utility Luke Nelson, who led the team with two goals in the game. Two true freshmen drivers got on the scoresheet, in Will Sanchez and Zach Bettino, and freshman goalie Charles Mills produced 2 saves in the second half.

“A lot of good stuff that I saw in the second game. Luke Nelson played really, really well today. Very proud of him,” Pintaric said. “There were a couple of other younger players that showed in the long run that they can actually contribute.”

Kranz, a senior, was also excited to see his younger teammates’ progress.

“A lot of the freshmen stepped up in big ways in the second game,” Kranz said. “There’s a lot of talent in that class, so it was great to see as an upperclassmen and senior. I think the future is very bright.”

USC returns to action in the pool next weekend with the MPSF Invitational tournament. The Trojans begin with a matchup against Whittier College Friday at noon. All of USC’s games will be played at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.