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Men’s water polo looks ahead to season opener in Berkeley

UCLA men’s water polo is set to hit the water for the first time since November 2019, playing USC and California twice each over the course of two days. (Lauren Man/Assistant Photo editor}

Men's water polo


No. 5 California
Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

Spieker Aquatics Complex
CAL LIVE STREAM-4
No. 1 USC
Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

Spieker Aquatics Complex
No TV info
No. 1 USC
Sunday, 2:30 p.m.

Spieker Aquatics Complex
No TV info
No. 5 California
Sunday, 6:30 p.m.

Spieker Aquatics Complex
CAL LIVE STREAM-4

By Kyle Boal

Jan. 22, 2021 11:30 a.m.

The Bruins may not have finished how they wanted last season – and may not have started when they wanted this season – but they’re back.

No. 3 UCLA men’s water polo is scheduled to play four times over the course of two days against rivals No. 1 USC and No. 5 California, playing each twice in Berkeley. The Bruins are coming off a year in which they missed the postseason for the first time in six seasons.

Coach Adam Wright – who holds an overall record of 267-47 in his 12 seasons as head coach – said getting back in the pool has been a long time coming and the team is grateful for an opportunity to compete.

“We’ve worked so hard for so long,” Wright said. “Our department (has) as well, (and) our conference, the MPSF, and the reality is we’re going to get on a bus this Friday and go play against Cal and USC. Everybody has their different sets of issues: people out, people injured, when they started training. But the bottom line is we’re going to play.”

Finishing last season with a final record of 17-5, the Bruins lost twice to the Trojans but beat the Golden Bears in both matchups.

With last season ending in November 2019, it has been more than a year since the team last competed. Wright joked that competing against two of the top teams in the nation this early after such a long break will result in sloppy water polo.

“By Sunday, the fourth game, the Cal coach and I were joking, I mean, it’s going to be probably pretty ugly,” Wright said. “But to give the student-athletes a chance to actually play is incredible. We’re beyond excited. It’s going to be weird I think for all of us because it’s been so long, but this is a tangible thing in front of our sights.”

UCLA returns four of five of its top scorers from last season, losing only attacker Ashworth Molthen – who transferred to USC. The Bruins also lost goalkeeper Alex Wolf to graduation – a starter in 64 games since 2015 for UCLA and a three-time All-American.

Sophomore center Gabe Discipulo – second on the team last season in both total exclusions drawn and penalty shots earned with 44 and seven, respectively – said the team has gained a sense of gratitude to simply play the sport.

“Because we weren’t sure what was going on, a lot of us had time off from water polo,” Discipulo said. “I think this team really realized that we had a special opportunity to play water polo for UCLA, and I think with that in mind, we saw a really great commitment to working hard together as a team preparing for the season.”

The center also said the key to this weekend is minimizing mistakes.

“USC and Cal are both historically really good programs, definitely teams you have to respect as an opponent,” Discipulo said. “They both like to play pretty fast and pretty aggressive water polo. The type of teams where they do a good job of capitalizing on mistakes. Really, they push the pace pretty well in the game, so just making sure you minimize mistakes is crucial against these types of teams.”

Freshman attacker Tanner Pulice – who earned USA Water Polo Outstanding Academic All-American honors before arriving in Westwood – said his former high school’s season was just canceled and reiterated the gratitude to have an opportunity this weekend to play.

“We’re all really just thankful for the opportunity,” Pulice said. “(Tuesday), the high school season and CIF championships got canceled. … I was on the phone with a high school coach earlier, and I was just reiterating how fortunate I am to be in this protocol where I am able to practice with my teammates every day and have some sort of normalcy in my life.”

The Bruins will take on the Golden Bears at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday before playing the Trojans at 6:30 p.m. later that evening. UCLA returns to action Sunday at 2:30 p.m. versus USC before concluding the weekend against California at 6:30 p.m at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley.

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Kyle Boal | Sports senior staff
Boal is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's water polo beat. He was an assistant Sports editor on the gymnastics, rowing, swim and dive, men's water polo and women's water polo beats. Boal was previously a contributor on the men's water polo and women's water polo beats.
Boal is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the women's water polo beat. He was an assistant Sports editor on the gymnastics, rowing, swim and dive, men's water polo and women's water polo beats. Boal was previously a contributor on the men's water polo and women's water polo beats.
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