Team defends No. 2 MPSF standing

UCLA d. Pepperdine 8-7 UCLA d.
UCSB 8-7

By Eric Perez
Daily Bruin Contributor

The No. 2 UCLA men’s water polo team kicked off this
weekend with a classic match, defeating No. 3 Pepperdine 8-7 at
Malibu on Saturday.

The game came as advertised, putting two of the nation’s
best together, fighting for the No. 2 seed in the coming Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation conference tournament.

The Bruins trailed throughout most of the game, leading only
once early in the first quarter.

The game’s first half began offensively, ending with
Pepperdine scoring with eleven seconds left in the half, putting
them up 5-4.

“We knew we had a much better defense than that,”
UCLA head coach Adam Krikorian said. “We know we can keep
teams below ten goals.”

The game turned defensive in the second half with stellar play
from both goalies.

Pepperdine goalie Michael Soltis stopped nine shots.
UCLA’s goalie, junior all-american Brandon Brooks, tallied
ten saves.

The Bruin defense came through in the clutch, closing down the
Waves’ offense and allowing only two goals in the second
half.

With 1:15 left in the fourth quarter, UCLA freshman driver Brett
Ormsby scored the game-tying goal to put the game at 7-7.

Then, with 39 seconds left in the game, with an assist from
Albert Garcia, Ormsby skipped in the game winner.

“It’s an awesome feeling” said Ormsby, who had
a hat trick on Saturday. “I knew this was a big game. All
along we knew that the winner of this game set themselves up nicely
for the NCAA tournament.”

Ormsby’s goals put UCLA on top in the game and might have
been his two biggest goals of the season, as the Bruins were less
than 80 seconds away from losing their second place in the MPSF
standings.

“It was a really good game, hard fought, everything we
expected it to be,” Ormsby said.

The Bruins’ high from Saturday’s win may have
distracted the team, as they almost gave away Sunday’s match
against UC Santa Barbara.

UCLA led by as much as 5-1, before losing their concentration in
the second half, being outscored 6-3.

The Bruins came away with the win, however, outlasting UCSB 8-7
and securing second place in the MPSF conference.

Despite their disappointing second-half performance on Sunday,
the Bruins achieved their goals this weekend, winning both
games.

“The whole weekend was a success,” said sophomore
driver Albert Garcia, who himself had a hat trick on Sunday.
“Today we put a really good game together as far as showing
effort, heart and some determination, we came out looking really
good, but we just got to put (UCSB) away.”