USC
California
Slow Start Stalls No. 1 USC Against No. 2 Cal
October 16, 2010 | Men's Water Polo
Oct. 16, 2010
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -- The No. 1 USC men's water polo team stalled out early in its top-two showdown against No. 2 visitor California, and the Trojans came up short in their late effort to battle back, falling 12-9 to the Bears at McDonald's Swim Stadium. Cal got a 5-0 jump on the Trojans to get the upper hand in the match, and was up 10-4 going into the fourth period of play. USC goes to 15-2 overall with the loss, and is now 1-2 in MPSF play. Cal improves to 12-2, 2-0.
The Trojans offense sputtered in the first half, hampered by the crossbar and near misses while Cal climbed ahead 5-0 with some sharpshooting and a 5-meter penalty shot. USC would end its scoring slump when Nikola Vavic laced in a 6-on-5 score wit 30 seconds left in the first to make it 5-1 Cal on the way to the second frame. There, the Bears worked ahead 7-1 with help from another 5-meter penalty shot. Some slick USC passing earned the Trojans a goal midway through the period as Peter Kurzeka worked the ball to Vavic for the finish from Tobias Preuss to make it 7-2, but Cal had the last word in the half with a last-second lob that got to the back of the net to leave USC in an 8-2 hole for halftime.
USC made some changes in the second half and managed back-to-back goals for the first time in the game. Another Kurzeka-Preuss connection got the ball to Mace Rapsey for the rocket and an 8-3 score. Matt Burton put a stop to a dangerous Cal attack from close range, and USC went the other way. Kurzeka earned the 6-on-5 for USC, and Vavic hit Preuss for the score to make it 8-4 Cal. USC's push would come to an end, however, when Cal followed a missed 5-meter with a nearside score, then struck again on a counterattack to put the Trojans behind 10-4 as the fourth period play came up.
The Trojans finally found a scoring spark in the fourth, getting back to within four on a Vavic score and a 6-on-5 converted by Jeremy Davie off a Kurzeka setup. Cal padded it back to 11-6 with a 6-on-5 of its own later, but USC still had gas left in the tank. Joel Dennerley made a powerful stop against a Cal counterattack, and Mace Rapsey put away the ensuing USC counterattack. A minute later, Michael Rosenthal found Brian Boswell at two-meters for the backhand to take USC to within three, down 11-8. USC missed on its next 6-on-5 chance, but after a Rosenthal steal, USC went back and made it a two-goal game when Burton hit Vavic at the post to make it 11-9 with 1:11 on the clock. Cal was able to keep that lead intact, however, and dumped in a late goal with Dennerley pulled out to help support another USC offensive strike, leaving it as a 12-9 Cal victory.
USC's next MPSF matchup has the Trojans back at McDonald's Swim Stadium next weekend. USC will host UC Santa Barbara for a 12 p.m. game next Sunday (Oct. 24).
#2 California 12, #1 USC 9
USC 1 - 1 - 2 - 5 = 9
CAL 5 - 3 - 2 - 2 = 12
SCORING:
USC -- Nikola Vavic 3, Tobias Preuss 2, Mace Rapsey 2, Jeremy Davie, Brian Boswell.
CAL -- Ivan Rackov 3, Charlie Steffens 2, Zach Greenwood 2, Zach White 2, Luka Saponjic, Collin Smith, Brian Dudley.
SAVES: Joel Dennerley (USC) 7, Justin Parsons (CAL) 10.
Players Mentioned
