Last-second loss ends Tourney
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 14, 2008 11:13 p.m.
When California’s Brian Dudley knocked in a rebounded save for a game-ending goal, the UCLA men’s water polo team knew it was going to be in for a long off-day of questioning.
The Bruins’ last-second loss in the third-place game of the SoCal Tournament came on the heels of a disappointing loss to Stanford in the semifinals. It was the second buzzer-beating defeat for the squad this season. In September, the Bruins fell, 6-5, to rival USC in the final match of the NorCal Tournament on a last-second goal.
“It’s a shot to the heart,” redshirt junior Scott Swanson said of the late-game loss. “It’s demoralizing. You play your heart out for the whole game, come back, and your heart sinks, your body goes numb, and it’s like “˜Oh my gosh. It happened again.'”
That loss capped off a disappointing Sunday for UCLA, which came out flat against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival Stanford, falling 7-4. In both losses, the Bruins fell behind early and were unable to overcome deficits and grab a victory.
Against Cal, the Bruins needed five goals in the final quarter to force overtime.
The slow starts are becoming a concern for a team that, in the past, has been accustomed to quick starts.
“We’ve always been a first-half team the past couple of years,” Swanson said. “After halftime, that’s when you have to push the other team. If you start off well in the second, things work.”
The Bruins won’t have long to think about Sunday’s disappointment. Over the course of the next three weeks, UCLA will come up against Stanford, Cal and USC, the top three teams in the nation.
Saturday’s game against the Cardinal at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center will be a rematch of the Bruins’ semifinal loss. Both coaches and players emphasized the importance of moving forward to put the Bruins’ first consecutive losses behind them. After a day off Monday, practice resumed Tuesday with a new attitude.
“I think the players will be angry,” coach Adam Krikorian said. “I think they’ll be upset, but in a good way, and ready to work.”
Redshirt sophomore Jacob Murphy echoed Krikorian’s sentiments.
“I feel very confident that we are going to bounce back,” Murphy said. “After losing games, morale is low, but it’s all about seeing the loss constructively and moving forward.”
CONDITIONING: Krikorian knows the demands of playing water polo. As a longtime coach and former UCLA player, he is attuned to the rigors of the sport.
“I actually believe that water polo is the most physically demanding sport there is in the world,” Krikorian said. “With that comes the necessity to condition the players to those rigors.”
Water polo practices are filled with swim sets, sprints and other workouts designed to develop the physical skills necessary to perform at a high level in the pool when the games begin.
“Honestly, I feel like all the conditioning we do is intense,” Murphy said. “The game is a break from that.”
This is the exact feeling their coach wants from them.
“We make practices so challenging so that the game is easier,” Krikorian said.
This approach to conditioning has paid dividends this season for a UCLA team that has been structured toward counterattacking and defense.
“I feel like we’re one of the faster teams in the conference,” Murphy said. “It’s a nice feeling to see the other team huffing and puffing, and you feel fine.”
AROUND THE MPSF: The USC Trojans seemingly cannot be stopped. After falling behind in the championship game of the SoCal Tournament, the No. 1 Trojans stormed back for an overtime victory against No. 3 Stanford. The win helped the Trojans capture their sixth straight SoCal Tournament title and kept their record at an unblemished 17-0.
The Cardinal captured second place after upsetting UCLA in the semifinals, and California took third with an overtime victory against the Bruins.
The tournament results will most likely shake up the national rankings for the time being. UCLA will most likely fall from its No. 2 position in the polls.
