University Southern California Trojans
Men's Water Polo Visits Bay Area
June 21, 1999 | Men's Water Polo
November 3, 1998
LOS ANGELES - The USC men's water polo team (17-1 overall, 5-0 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) heads north to play two games in the Bay Area this weekend. On Saturday (Nov. 7), USC meets Stanford at noon in Palo Alto (3 1/2 hours before the Trojan-Cardinal football game). Then, USC crosses the bay to take on California on Sunday (Nov. 8) at noon in Berkeley. The Stanford game is an MPSF match while the Cal game is non-conference.
RANKINGS - USC was ranked No. 1 in the Oct. 28 American Water Polo Coaches Association Top 20 Poll. Stanford was No. 4 and California was No. 6.
OPPONENTS - Stanford (15-5, 6-1) and USC will be meeting for the second time in seven days. The Trojans won last weekend, 7-5, and also won earlier this season at the So-Cal Tournament, 7-6. Junior driver Brian Heifferon leads the team with 34 points ... California (10-8 - plays UC Santa Barbara on Saturday) and USC have squared off three times already this season, with the Trojans winning all three. Senior 2-meter man Ryan Flynn leads the Golden Bears with 44 points.
LAST WEEK - USC defeated No. 9 UC Santa Barbara, 12-4, and No. 4 Stanford, 7-5, in a pair of matches at the McDonald's Swim Stadium last weekend. Ivan Babic scored five goals and Peter Janov had three against the Gauchos, as USC won the MPSF match. In the non-conference win over Stanford, Janov and George Csaszar each scored two goals.
JOHN WILLIAMS & JOVAN VAVIC - Co-head coaches John Williams and Jovan Vavic have Troy competing for a national championship year in and year out (USC has placed second in four of the last five years). Williams, a former USC All-American, entered his 26th year as head coach of the Trojans with a record of 424-250-7 (.628). Vavic was promoted to co-head coach prior to 1995, and in the last three seasons, USC went 64-15 (.810).
MARKO PINTARIC - Senior driver Marko Pintaric is again playing at the level that saw him lead USC in scoring in 1997 and earn All-American second team honors. He is currently second on the team with 33 goals and 39 points (fifth in the MPSF). He has scored in all 18 games in 1998. A native of Croatia, Pintaric made the All-Southern California Tournament first team for the second straight year. He was named MPSF Player of the Week on Oct. 5 after scoring a total of six points against Pacific and UC Irvine.
RICHARD McEVOY - After earning 1997 All-American third team honors in his first year as a starter, junior goalie Richard McEvoy (Pembroke Pines, FL/Cooper City HS) could be the nation's best at his position. He has 118 saves (an average of 7.9 a game, good for fifth in the MPSF) and is allowing 6.0 points a game (third in the MPSF). McEvoy made the All-Southern California Tournament first team.
GEORGE CSASZAR - In what had to have been the greatest debut in USC history, sophomore driver George Csaszar scored seven goals and eight points against Long Beach State in the 1998 season opener. A native of Hungary who has an excellent shot, Csaszar leads the Trojans with 38 goals and 43 points (fourth in the MPSF). After scoring 15 points in the first six games, he was named MPSF Player of the Week on Sept. 20. He also made the All-Southern California Tournament second team.
JAMES CASTLE - A former starter on the U.S. Junior National Team and a 1997 All-American third teamer, junior 2-meter man James Castle (Hacienda Heights/Wilson HS) is again one of USC's standouts in 1998. He has 24 goals thus far. He made the All-Southern California Tournament second team.
NEWCOMERS - In addition to Csaszar, USC has been helped by the arrival of junior 2-meter man Peter Janov and freshman 2-meter man Ivan Babic. Janov, who came from Slovakia via Golden West College, has scored 22 points in 1998. He made the All-Southern California Tournament second team. Babic, who is from Yugoslavia, has scored 27 points.
