The No. 10 Triton men’s water polo team lost a double-overtime 6-5 decision to Redlands in the second of three tournament rounds played from Nov. 18 through Nov. 20 at the Western Water Polo Association Championships hosted by UC Davis at the Schaal Aquatic Center. Despite winning its first match on Nov. 18 over unranked, seventh-seed Air Force, 10-7, UCSD, the top-seeded team in the tournament, was unable to secure any insurance goals in the fourth quarter against the Redlands team on Nov 19.
UCSD precariously maintained a 5-4 advantage until Bulldogs freshman two-meter defender Ryan Hall scored on a pass from sophomore two-meter man Ian Calpin with just 27 seconds remaining on the game clock. Then, with a little more than a minute remaining in the second three-minute overtime period, Redlands freshman driver Kevan Whelan notched the game-winner from the left side of the cage. The Tritons faced tournament host UC Davis on Nov. 20 in the third-place game that UCSD controlled, 9-7. The Tritons concluded their 2004 season with an overall 20-12 record. This is the third time in the last five seasons that head coach Denny Harper’s teams have breached the 20-win barrier.
In their victory over Air Force, the Tritons jumped out to an early 3-2 lead in the first quarter, but fell back to a 4-4 tie by the half, thanks to Falcons sophomore driver Kyle Schafer’s two goals.
The opening three minutes of the third quarter were back and forth until Air Force was in the lead, 6-5. Then the Tritons stepped up. Junior two-meter man Chris Finegold scored two of his game-high three goals as part of a nine-minute, 5-0 scoring drive that left UCSD untouchable.
A last-minute score by the Falcons senior Murphey Morgan wasn’t enough to put Air Force in striking distance, and the Tritons advanced victorious, 10-7.
In addition to Finegold’s three goals, freshman driver Adnan Jerkovic tallied a pair, while junior drivers Chris Eichholz and Nicholas Takahashi, junior two-meter Matthew Budnick and freshman drivers Nathan Weiner and Benjamin Miller were each responsible for a goal.
Triton junior goalie Colin McElroy recorded five saves in the effort.
Redlands came into the semifinal match on Nov. 19 fresh off of the program’s first-ever win over fourth-seed BYU-Hawaii in an adrenaline-packed 7-6 match, and was ready for the Tritons.
The game remained close for the duration, neither team emerging with a clear upper hand, although the Tritons never fell behind Redlands during regulation play, thanks to goals from Jerkovic. UCSD held control, 5-4, in the fourth quarter until the final possession and Calpin’s tragically timed score.
Sole Triton senior Nate Cooper, playing in his last tournament, threw a spinning lob shot toward the back of the cage, but Redlands junior goalie Casey Finfrock came up with his 10th save of the match to prevent a sudden-death, third overtime period.
Playing for third place against the Aggies on Nov. 20, the Tritons took an early lead and never looked back en route to their 9-7 victory in the final match of the 2004 season.
The Tritons went up, 5-0, on UC Davis before the Aggies’ first retaliatory strike. Sophomore utility Jesse Casellini and Eichholz took credit for two apiece, complemented by an additional score by Finegold in the Tritons’ offensive. By the half, UCSD held a commanding 7-2 advantage, and opened up its biggest margin of the game just 26 seconds into the third quarter, 8-2.
The Aggies didn’t give up, battling to the final seconds of the game and going on an impressive 5-1 scoring drive that brought the Triton lead down to two.
Eichholz led scoring for UCSD with his three goals, followed by Casellini with two. Finegold, Jerkovic and freshman drivers Jeff Hunt and Curtis Williamson each chalked up one.
Loyola Marymount beat Redlands in the championship game of the tournament, 6-3, marking the third time in four years and the second year in a row that the Lions have been crowned WWPA Champions. Loyola Marymount will advance to the NCAA Final Four at Stanford on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5.
