Men’s water polo seeks redemption in upcoming Cal game
Senior utility Cristiano Mirarchi said the men’s water polo team has been focusing on its execution and will be ready to redeem its losses to Stanford and USC last weekend with a win against a No. 2 Cal team. (Katie Meyers/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Claire Fahy
Oct. 17, 2014 1:32 a.m.
UCLA football isn’t the only team from Westwood traveling to Berkeley with the goal of getting its season back on track.
This weekend, the No. 4 UCLA men’s water polo team heads to Northern California to take on No. 2 Cal, the runners-up to last weekend’s SoCal Tournament hosted by UCLA.
UCLA dropped its first two games of the season over the course of the tournament, falling to USC and Stanford in back-to-back matchups on Sunday. With a week of training behind them, the Bruins are in search of redemption and its previously-held No. 1 ranking.
“We have something to set straight from this last weekend … I think we’re capable of beating any team when we play the UCLA brand of water polo and we have a good group that’s really deep and it’s pretty dangerous,” said freshman utility Alex Roelse. “If we can get over what we need to get over from this past weekend and focus on this new game, it could put us in a great position heading into Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and then towards our goal of being the best team in America.”
That goal remains firmly intact, even after UCLA’s dramatic slip in the rankings following last weekend’s performance. After their loss to Stanford, coach Wright attributed the Bruins’ issues to selfish play and a loss of team identity.
“I think everyone’s getting fired up to play, especially after the recent losses. I’m pretty confident going up to Cal,” said sophomore center Gordon Marshall. “We don’t have to change anything, we just have to play our game plan. It just gives you a bit more determination really.”
UCLA’s determination was clear from its approach to training this week. Midway through the Bruins’ Tuesday night practice, a tennis ball flew from the adjacent tennis courts and splashed into Spieker Aquatics pool. The men in the water were so focused, they didn’t even notice.
“It’s a really big game, they’re a really strong team, but we will be good to go,” said senior utility Cristiano Mirarchi. “We’ve been focusing to execute.”
At practice, Wright urged his players to leave the past in the past and move on as a team. The coach discouraged the Bruins from criticizing each other in the water and instead asked his players to work together.
Another point Wright stressed was the importance of each individual game. While the postseason can potentially stretch into December, a challenge for the Bruins will be remaining in the present.
UCLA has been in this position before. Last season, the team was a favorite to claim an NCAA title before an unexpected loss in the MPSF qualifiers sent the team home early. The team has since learned to prepare for every opponent and not get ahead of itself.
