University Southern California Trojans
Jovan Vavic Named MPSF Coach of the Year; Juan Delgadillo is Player of the Year
November 29, 2006 | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 29, 2006
Complete All-MPSF Teams in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
For the second straight season, USC has swept the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men's water polo awards. After an undefeated run through MPSF action once again, the Trojans have laid claim to the conference's top honors, as head coach Jovan Vavic has been named 2006 MPSF Coach of the Year, and senior driver Juan Delgadillo is the 2006 MPSF Player of the Year. They are joined by five fellow Trojans on the All-MPSF teams as USC heads into the NCAA Tournament this weekend to defend its national championship title. Delgadillo is joined by fellow senior Thomas Hale and junior goalie Adam Shilling on the All-MPSF First Team; junior Tommy Corcoran was named to the Second Team; sophomore Jovan Vranes is a Third Team selection, and senior Pavol Valovic was awarded Honorable Mention.
USC head coach Jovan Vavic has earned back-to-back honors as the MPSF Coach of the Year, having won last season on the way to the Trojans' 2005 national championship. This year, Vavic has guided USC in another outstanding season, helping the Trojans along to a program-best 44-game winning streak after an undefeated run through the regular season. In his 12th season at the helm of USC's men's water polo team, Vavic has his Trojans leading the nation in defense with 5.4 goals against per game, and they are now in line to defend their 2005 national championship this weekend. Vavic has kept intact his winning record against all opponents during his time at Troy with a 25-1 record as USC enters the NCAA Tournament for the 20th time. This is his third MPSF Coach of the Year award on the men's side of the game (2003, 2005, 2006) and his fifth overall (Women's Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2004). Vavic also was named MPSF Co-Coach of the Year in 1996 with John Williams. Vavic's career record as the men's head coach at Troy is now 264-53 (.833) overall entering the NCAA Tournament.
Rounding out the clean MPSF sweep for USC is senior driver Juan Delgadillo, who becomes the second straight Trojan to be named the MPSF Player of the Year. Delgadillo has won two national championships already with the Trojans as is USC's leading scorer this year with 48 goals. A defensive force as well as a formidable counterattack striker, Delgadillo was an All-MPSF First Team selection as a junior. Now a senior, Delgadillo is following in the footsteps of 2005 MPSF Player of the Year Juraj Zatovic as the Trojans' top scorer. He has gotten to the back of the cage in 22 games this year, with 15 multiple-goal efforts including a five-goal outing against UC Irvine on Oct. 28. With his scoring output so far this year, Delgadillo has climbed to rank No. 10 all-time on USC's career scoring charts with 137 goals -- just ahead of fellow senior Thomas Hale's 133 career goals. Delgadillo also was named MPSF Player of the Week after his three-goal performance in the championship game against Cal helped USC secure back-to-back NorCal Tournament titles with a 10-7 win over the Bears on Sept. 17. He also was recently named to the 2006 MPSF All-Tournament Team.
Holding down the fort on the All-MPSF First Team along with Delgadillo are senior driver Thomas Hale and junior goalie Adam Shilling. Thomas Hale has wielded a mighty left hand once again for the Trojans. He is second on the team in scoring with 44 goals, having scored in 21 games so far this year. The senior notched a huge game-winning goal in sudden death overtime against crosstown rival UCLA, marking one of 12 multiple-goal performances this season. Hale has tallied three 4-goal games in his senior season, helping to guide the Trojans through a stellar season and set himself up for a possible third national championship in his career at Troy. Hale has earned All-MPSF honors the past two seasons, named to the second team as a sophomore and the third team as a junior. He also was recently named to the 2006 MPSF All-Tournament Team. Adam Shilling has shined in his full-time role as the Trojans' starting goalie, racking up 171 saves so far this season and boasting a 4.7 goals-against average. That goals-against mark leads the MPSF and has helped anchor the Trojans' No. 1 defense in the nation. He set a new career high this season with 12 saves against California in a 10-9 win to help USC win the Southern California Tournament championship. He's also moved up on the USC career charts to now hold 347 career saves. He was named MPSF Player of the Week once this season. This is his first All-MPSF award.
USC's 2006 All-MPSF Second Team selection -- junior 2-meter man Tommy Corcoran -- is fifth on the team in scoring with 26 goals - having tag-teamed the heated hole position with freshman J.W. Krumpholz. Corcoran has scored in 16 games this season including eight multiple-goal efforts so far. He recently punched in a pair of goals for the Trojans in a tight, low-scoring 5-3 win over Stanford in the MPSF Semifinals. Corcoran has tallied two hat tricks this year, and was also named to the All-MPSF Second Team last year as a sophomore. He also was recently named to the 2006 MPSF All-Tournament Team.
Jovan Vranes has unleashed his scoring skill with a vengeance this year, going biggest for the Trojans with a career-high four goals in USC's 10-9 regular-season finale win over California. USC's fourth leading scorer with 31 goals on the year to more than triple his freshman output, Vranes has scored in 19 games with eight multiple-goal efforts. A powerful threat from the perimeter, the sophomore 2-meter defender has earned his first All-MPSF nod with a place on the Third Team team.
Senior Pavol Valovic has done a lot of everything for the Trojans in his senior season, and his efforts have been recognized with accolades as All-MPSF Honorable Mention. A lock on defense and a stellar sprinter, utility player Valovic also has upped his scoring impact and notched 18 goals this year, having scored in the past five games. He's gotten to the back of the cage in 16 games this year with a pair of two-goal games. This is Valovic's first All-MPSF award.
(RELEASE AND COMPLETE ALL-MPSF TEAMS ATTACHED AS PDF)
