The UCSD men’s water polo season has been filled with close
losses at home, and the game against No. 10 UC Davis on Oct. 19 was no
exception. The No. 14 Tritons fought hard against the Aggies but came up just
short, falling 9-8 in overtime. The loss gives the team a 10-12 season record.
And with high-ranked opponents looming in their upcoming contests, bringing
their record to an even .500 will be a challenge for the Tritons.
The first quarter of the game against UC Davis was more of a
swim meet than a water polo game, with numerous turnovers and neither team
having much success putting the ball in the goal. UC Davis scored first on a
goal from its two meter, but junior driver Chance Vermilyea answered back for
UCSD with a lob goal off of the Tritons’ counterattack, evening the score at
1-1.
Defense took over the game early, as both teams were quick
enough to crash the two-meters without committing to a drop. The Tritons also
had success on their man-down defense as they were able to stop UC Davis on its
three 6-on-5 opportunities with a few field blocks and a good stop from
freshman goalkeeper Mark Stemler.
Head coach Denny Harper had some rare praise for Stemler and
freshman goalkeeper Adam Rule, who split playing time against the Aggies.
“One problem we’ve had all season is consistently poor play
from our goalies,” head coach Denny Harper said. “But Stemler and Rule played
really well this game. They were outstanding.”
The opening minutes of the second quarter were much like the
first quarter’s play, as both teams were held scoreless. With 4:35 left in the
half, UC Davis opened up the scoring on a counterattack goal and added another
goal shortly after on a 6-on-5 opportunity.
The Tritons scored on their own 6-on-5 opportunity during
the ensuing possession with sophomore two-meter Daniel Garcia scoring from the
deep wing to cut the UC Davis lead to 3-2. With one minute left in the half,
the Aggies added another goal to grab a 4-2 lead at halftime.
The Tritons came out strong in the second half, scoring on
another counterattack goal from Vermilyea in the first minute. UCSD continued
its strong defense and was able to keep UC Davis scoreless in the quarter by
forcing several turnovers. With two minutes left in the third quarter, senior
driver Curtis Williamson tied the game with a goal from the flat to even the
score at 4-4.
Sophomore utility Peter Gresham said that the Tritons’
consistent effort throughout the game allowed them to pull close to the Aggies.
“We had a lot of intensity and we kept it going throughout
the entire game,” Gresham said. “We played together as a team.”
The teams continued their tight back-and-forth play
throughout the fourth quarter. Garcia, sophomore two-meter defender Steven
Donohoe and senior driver Benjamin Miller added goals for the Tritons to make
the score 7-6 with less than two minutes left in the quarter. With 1:41 left in
regulation, UC Davis senior utility Nick Arrigo scored the tying goal to send
the game into overtime.
Defense was, once again, the main focus in the first
three-minute overtime period. The Tritons and Aggies had one 6-on-5 opportunity
apiece, but both were unable to score. With 14 seconds left in the period, UC
Davis scored a goal from the deep wing to take an 8-7 lead.
The Aggies scored another quick goal in the second overtime
period for a two-goal lead. Williamson responded by scoring with 54 seconds
left in the period to close within one of the Aggies. UCSD got the ball back
with 36 seconds remaining, but was unable to convert.
Despite the loss, the game was the Tritons’ best showing
against UC Davis this season. UCSD faced UC Davis twice early in its 2007
season, resulting in losses for the Tritons with scores of 11-7 and 13-7 in
regulation.
Harper said that his squad is improving and has met his
expectations.
“This season has gone just the way I predicted,” Harper
said. “We’ll get better and I don’t think Davis will … UC Davis has been the
frontrunner in our conference and we nearly knocked them off.”
The Tritons will travel to UC Irvine to face the No. 9
Anteaters on Oct. 26, and will face No. 7 Loyola Marymount University on Oct.
27. Since UC Irvine is not in the Western Water Polo Association, UCSD plans to
use the game against the Anteaters to get ready for the WWPA championships
coming up on Nov. 16 through 18. The Tritons are looking to defend the WWPA
title that they won last year over Loyola Marymount University.
“We’re right there with five or six teams that could win the
conference title,” Harper said. “I like where we’re at right now.”
