The crowd of 1,589 was electric with anticipation in the Canyonview Pool Complex and the fifth-ranked UCSD men’s water polo team did not disappoint.
The Tritons rush their LMU opponent as he searches for an open man dangerously close to the home net, but the Lions could not secure the win and fell to the Tritons 7-8 on Sept. 22.
In their first home game since the start of fall quarter, the Tritons shook off initial nerves and settled down to beat their Western Water Polo Association rival, sixth-ranked Loyola Marymount University, 8-7 on Sept. 22.
The energetic fans helped contribute to the pregame jitters, but the supporters eventually gave UCSD a boost to overcome the Lions for the second-consecutive match. With the win, the Tritons improved their record to 12-2 while the Lions dropped to 6-5.
“I think everyone came out pretty excited, with a little bit of nervous energy,” senior utility Jesse Casellini said. “Having all these people come out means a lot to us.”
Junior utility A.J. Kotanjian looked past his LMU opponent with determination as he pushed toward the Lion’s den to keep the win in home water.
The defense looked spectacular for most of the night, but the offense was not as solid, as the Triton attackers hit the post numerous times throughout the game.
Head coach Denny Harper noted the offense’s struggles, but he was able to draw optimism out of the performance.
“We were really pleased with the defense for the most part, but on offense, we’ve missed too many shots,” Harper said. “The good news is, we beat our rivals and we didn’t really play well at all.”
Within the first couple minutes of the match, the Lions took the lead, with senior Shaun Flood notching his first of three goals of the night. UCSD went right back at them to tie it up, with junior driver Adnan Jerkovic striking on the very next possession.
The Tritons continued to attack the Lions’ defense, but they were unable to capitalize on good shots, hitting the post three possessions in a row.
UCSD was the first to find the back of the net in the second quarter. With 2 minutes, 24 seconds remaining, Loyola tied it up at two, only to have the Tritons counter with Casellini’s goal seconds later.
The Lions tied it up once again in the third quarter when the goalkeeper threw a long pass for a fast break goal. Sophomore driver Julien Lormant scored a goal to give Loyola the lead, but it only took UCSD 20 seconds to tie the game, 4-4. With some crucial stops and second-chance opportunities, the Tritons went up by two goals by the end of the third.
“It came down to a few key plays that they made,” Lions head coach John Loughran said after the game. “They got some big stops when they needed it.”
The pace and intensity picked up in the fourth quarter, even among coaches, who both received yellow cards for arguing.
Jerkovic, who led the Tritons with three goals in the match, got UCSD on the board again on a play set up during a timeout. After trading goals, Loyola Marymount University called a timeout with only 2:09 left in the game.
While the game seemed like it was over, the Lions stormed back to put up two points within a minute. The Tritons failed to get an insurance goal, but senior goalkeeper Jeremy Randall made a great save at the end of the game to secure the victory.
Junior driver Nestor Dordoni played a crucial role in the Tritons’ success, winning all of the sprints to begin the quarter. His swiftness allowed UCSD to control possession, according to Casellini.
“Dordoni helped out so much by winning every single sprint, because momentum is a big part of water polo,” Casellini said.
UCSD only looks to improve from here, with more experience and hard work.
“This squad is far from reaching its potential,” Harper said. “There are a lot of new guys and a lot of people are sorting themselves out.”
UCSD and Loyola are considered to be two of the top teams on the WWPA, making a playoff matchup all but inevitable. When asked about the possibility of facing the Lions in the WWPA championship this year, senior two-meter Ty Lackey said, “We’re bigger, we’re stronger, and we’re going to work harder than they are, so we’re going to win.”
The Tritons will be on the road again for two games against UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 29 and Cal State Long Beach on Sept. 30.
