Saturday, September 9
Los Angeles, Calif.
1:00 PM
USC
vs
California
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It’s A Top-Two Battle At Uytensgu On Saturday For USC’s Home Opener
September 06, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
USC-CAL LIVE STREAMUSC-CAL LIVE STATSUSC-UCI LIVE STATSUSC-UCI LIVE STREAM (ESPN+)WEEKLY RELEASE (PDF)
No. 2 Trojans host No. 1 Cal in rematch of 2022 NCAA final at 1 p.m on Saturday, visit UC Irvine Sunday.
#2 USC (4-0) vs. #1 Cal (4-0)
Saturday, Sept. 9 | 1 p.m. | Uytengsu Aquatics Center
Series Record: USC leads 69-68-2 (L4)
Last Meeting: CAL 13, USC 12 (Dec. 12, 2022)
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
#2 USC at #8 UC Irvine
Sunday, Sept. 5 | 12 p.m. | Irvine, Calif.
Series Record: USC leads 84-23 (W36)
Last Meeting: USC 16, LBSU 10 (Oct. 2, 202)
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
THIS WEEK
No. 2 USC has a big home opener on tap as the Trojans host top-ranked Cal in a rematch of last year's NCAA final. USC (4-0) faces the Golden Bears (4-0) at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 9) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center in an early MPSF meeting. On Sunday (Sept. 10), the Trojans go on the road to visit No. 8 UC Irvine at 12 p.m. in Irvine, Calif.
RANKINGS
USC started the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the national preseason poll and tied at No. 2 in the preseason MPSF Coaches Poll. Currently 4-0 overall, USC remains ranked No. 2 in the nation as of the latest set of national rankings (released Sept. 7).
LAST ACTION
USC went 4-0 in the season's first weekend of action, beating CBU 17-12, Pomona-Pitzer 21-2, Biola 18-2 and host UC San Diego 11-9 at the Triton Invitational.
#2 USC 17, #17 CBU 12
USC's season opener with California Baptist saw the Trojans elbow their way to a sizable lead by halftime. Max Miller, Massimo Di Martire and Jack Vort each scored twice in the first half while the USC defense allowed just two Lancer goals — an early 6-on-5 score and a 5-meter penalty — in the first period of play. After a defensive shutout in the second frame, USC gripped an 11-2 advantage on CBU by halftime. The Lancers found an offensive groove in the second half, but USC's lead and ability to continue to find the back of the net kept the Trojans in control down the stretch. While Di Martire worked his way to a four-goal effort, the morning's scoring action was capped by freshman Luke Nelson's strike out of set to wrap up a 17-12 USC victory. Eric Hubner went the distance in the cage for the Trojans, making six saves.
#2 USC 21, P-P 2
The USC defense shut down the Sagehens while working out to a 12-0 advantage in the first half. Redshirt freshman goalie Bernardo Herzer manned the cage for that one, squashing a Pomona-Pitzer 5-meter opportunity to help preserve the first-half shutout. Along the way, USC had two more true freshmen tally their first goals as Trojans. Will Sanchez tallied twice in the first period just after Zach Bettino punched up his first of two on the day to help USC to a 7-0 lead just eight minutes into the game. USC's veterans shouldered the scoring load in the second period before redshirt freshman Charlie Saunders sliced in his first career goal with a cross cage skipper that took the Trojans ahead 12-0 by the break. The Sagehens broke their silence with back-to-back 6-on-5 goals to open the second half, but that would be all they'd get the rest of the way. USC would pile on six unanswered goals in the fourth frame, with Miller working his way to another hat trick and Zac Crenshaw adding the final word for the Trojans to wrap up a 21-2 final victory. Herzer finished out the game by setting a solid career high for himself with 12 saves in the win.
#2 USC 18, BU 2
Against Biola, USC's defense — backed up by freshman goalie Charles Mills in his USC debut — shut out its opponent for over 23 minutes. On the offensive end, USC rattled off 12 straight goals to leave the Eagles well behind. The Trojans tallied six goals from six different scorers in the first frame, with transfer Connor Cohen dishing out his first goal as a Trojan to net a 6-1 USC lead. Mills would turn away a Biola 5-meter penalty shot in the second, and fellow freshman Zach Bettino delivered back-to-back blasts to take the Trojans ahead 10-1 for halftime. USC's silencers stayed on in the third while Massimo Di Martire put his hat trick in place and Aidan Wattson rang up his first goal of the year to help USC ahead 14-1 entering the fourth. There, USC's young guns clicked off four more Trojan goals, including freshman Spencer Averitt's first career goal along the way to a final 18-2 USC scoreline. In his first USC action, goalie Mills hauled in 13 saves vs. the Eagles.
#2 USC 11, #11 UCSD 9
UC San Diego took an early lead and built a three-goal advantage in the first eight minutes of action. Down 5-2 entering the second period, USC got a boost from a big save by Eric Hubner against a Triton power play. Midway through the frame, Joshua Waldoch sizzled in a score from the top, and Jake Carter would get USC one back with a ripper in the final minute of the half off a feed from Zach Bettino. Another 6-on-5 finish from the Titans had USC in a 6-4 hole early in the third, prompting USC to right the ship. The Trojans would regroup and rattle off five straight goals — two more from Waldoch to work the redshirt junior into a new career high, along with blasts from Carson Kranz, Andrej Grgurevic and Tom McGuire — to lift USC into the lead for the first time. Grgurevic's 6-on-5 strike off a cross from Max Miller was the go-ahead goal for the Trojans, tugging USC ahead 7-6 with 3:02 on the clock. The rally pushed USC ahead 9-6 before UCSD broke its silence in converting a 5-meter penalty shot in the final seconds of the third. In the fourth, the teams went goal-for-goal as Miller joined the scoresheet for the fourth straight game and Waldoch punched up his fourth en route to a final 11-9 USC road win.
BY THE NUMBERS
Massimo Di Martire and Max Miller currently lead USC's scoring charge with nine goals apiece after the Trojans' opening weekend. Di Martire, Miller and Joshua Waldoch (seven goals) each scored in all four games to open the year. On the defensive end, three goalies have seen time in the cage, with redshirt sophomore Eric Hubner capping up in two games. Two Trojan goalies made their USC debuts last weekend in redshirt sophomore Bernardo Herzer (12 saves vs. Pomona-Pitzer) and freshman Charles Mills (13 saves vs. Biola). All told, USC's goalkeeping corps is averaging 9.3 saves per game. As a team, USC has outscored its opponents 67-25 for an average of 16.8 goals per game offensively and 6.3 goals-against per game defensively. The USC defense has held opponents scoreless in seven periods.
BACK FOR MORE
USC returns over half of its 2022 NCAA roster, including All-American and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Massimo Di Martire, who led the Trojans in scoring with 63 goals in the 2022 season — seven of those goals scored in the NCAA Tournament. Senior captain Carson Kranz and junior Luka Brnetic also return as All-MPSF honorees, with Kranz and Max Miller tabbed as team captains for 2023. Brnetic and Reed Stemler are seasoned hole guards ready to shut down any moves at two-meters. In front of the cage as well will be senior captain Miller and Tony Nardelli, each bringing valuable experience in their fourth years as centers. Newcomer Connor Cohen and sophomore Zac Crenshaw also add size and power to that spot for the Trojans. Back in the water for his sophomore season, Andrej Grgurevic spent his summer playing with the Australian Junior National Team. Grgurevic scored 21 goals as a true freshman last season.
STRIKE FORCE
With the graduation of some powerful left-handed shooters, sophomore Jack Vort, freshman Zach Bettino and redshirt freshman Charlie Saunders are ready to step up on the 4-6 side, joined by righties Di Martire and Jake Carter, who are proven sharpshooters on that side of the pool. Working on the 1-2 side is a group of guys making an impact with their utility and speed on both sides of the pool in returners Evan Ausmus, Tom McGuire, Joshua Waldoch and Aidan Wattson.
CAGE FIGHTERS
The Trojans' goalie squad is ripe with skill and size, with 6-foot-7 Eric Hubner bringing upperclassman experience and 6-6 Bernardo Herzer coming off a redshirt year. Incoming freshman goalies Charles Mills and Cooper Mathisrud further bolster USC in the cage as the group competes for playing time as the backbone of the Trojan defense.
NEW CREW
The balance of the 2023 USC squad is rounded out by new additions to the roster. Stanford transfer Jack Martin and Serbian newcomer Stefan Brankovic are raising the level of competition in practice for the younger additions of Spencer Averitt, Chase Landa, Luke Nelson and Will Sanchez. Each player on the roster has an opportunity to make an impact on the way to NCAAs.
PINTA'S PROGRAM
Marko Pintaric, who has been part of 14 NCAA championships during his 21 years on the USC coaching staff, is in his fifth year at the helm of the Trojan men's program. Last season, he guided the Trojans to an 18th consecutive NCAA appearance, reaching the NCAA final for the 17th time in that span. An All-American and 1998 NCAA champion as a player at USC, Pintaric served as co-head coach for the USC men for three seasons (2016-18), most recently helping the Trojans to the 2018 NCAA Championship. His USC coaching career began as an assistant coach to both the USC men and women in 2001. Pintaric stayed in a dual coaching role until NCAA rules for coaching staff sizes changed in 2015-16, prompting a move to a scouting director role with the women while his assistant coaching role continued with the men for the next four years.
LAST SEASON
USC's 2022 campaign saw the Trojans win the MPSF Tournament championship in order to clinch an 18th straight trip to the NCAA tourney. USC finished up undefeated at home and posted a 20-7 overall record after a run to the NCAA title match, where USC fell in a one-goal loss to host Cal. At season's end, USC had four players earn ACWPC All-America honors in First Team picks Jake Ehrhardt, Massimo Di Martire and Ashworth Molthen along with second-team selection Kyle McKenney. Ehrhardt also was picked as a finalist for the 2022 Peter J. Cutino Award. •
Saturday, Sept. 9 | 1 p.m. | Uytengsu Aquatics Center
Series Record: USC leads 69-68-2 (L4)
Last Meeting: CAL 13, USC 12 (Dec. 12, 2022)
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
#2 USC at #8 UC Irvine
Sunday, Sept. 5 | 12 p.m. | Irvine, Calif.
Series Record: USC leads 84-23 (W36)
Last Meeting: USC 16, LBSU 10 (Oct. 2, 202)
LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS
THIS WEEK
No. 2 USC has a big home opener on tap as the Trojans host top-ranked Cal in a rematch of last year's NCAA final. USC (4-0) faces the Golden Bears (4-0) at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 9) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center in an early MPSF meeting. On Sunday (Sept. 10), the Trojans go on the road to visit No. 8 UC Irvine at 12 p.m. in Irvine, Calif.
RANKINGS
USC started the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the national preseason poll and tied at No. 2 in the preseason MPSF Coaches Poll. Currently 4-0 overall, USC remains ranked No. 2 in the nation as of the latest set of national rankings (released Sept. 7).
LAST ACTION
USC went 4-0 in the season's first weekend of action, beating CBU 17-12, Pomona-Pitzer 21-2, Biola 18-2 and host UC San Diego 11-9 at the Triton Invitational.
#2 USC 17, #17 CBU 12
USC's season opener with California Baptist saw the Trojans elbow their way to a sizable lead by halftime. Max Miller, Massimo Di Martire and Jack Vort each scored twice in the first half while the USC defense allowed just two Lancer goals — an early 6-on-5 score and a 5-meter penalty — in the first period of play. After a defensive shutout in the second frame, USC gripped an 11-2 advantage on CBU by halftime. The Lancers found an offensive groove in the second half, but USC's lead and ability to continue to find the back of the net kept the Trojans in control down the stretch. While Di Martire worked his way to a four-goal effort, the morning's scoring action was capped by freshman Luke Nelson's strike out of set to wrap up a 17-12 USC victory. Eric Hubner went the distance in the cage for the Trojans, making six saves.
#2 USC 21, P-P 2
The USC defense shut down the Sagehens while working out to a 12-0 advantage in the first half. Redshirt freshman goalie Bernardo Herzer manned the cage for that one, squashing a Pomona-Pitzer 5-meter opportunity to help preserve the first-half shutout. Along the way, USC had two more true freshmen tally their first goals as Trojans. Will Sanchez tallied twice in the first period just after Zach Bettino punched up his first of two on the day to help USC to a 7-0 lead just eight minutes into the game. USC's veterans shouldered the scoring load in the second period before redshirt freshman Charlie Saunders sliced in his first career goal with a cross cage skipper that took the Trojans ahead 12-0 by the break. The Sagehens broke their silence with back-to-back 6-on-5 goals to open the second half, but that would be all they'd get the rest of the way. USC would pile on six unanswered goals in the fourth frame, with Miller working his way to another hat trick and Zac Crenshaw adding the final word for the Trojans to wrap up a 21-2 final victory. Herzer finished out the game by setting a solid career high for himself with 12 saves in the win.
#2 USC 18, BU 2
Against Biola, USC's defense — backed up by freshman goalie Charles Mills in his USC debut — shut out its opponent for over 23 minutes. On the offensive end, USC rattled off 12 straight goals to leave the Eagles well behind. The Trojans tallied six goals from six different scorers in the first frame, with transfer Connor Cohen dishing out his first goal as a Trojan to net a 6-1 USC lead. Mills would turn away a Biola 5-meter penalty shot in the second, and fellow freshman Zach Bettino delivered back-to-back blasts to take the Trojans ahead 10-1 for halftime. USC's silencers stayed on in the third while Massimo Di Martire put his hat trick in place and Aidan Wattson rang up his first goal of the year to help USC ahead 14-1 entering the fourth. There, USC's young guns clicked off four more Trojan goals, including freshman Spencer Averitt's first career goal along the way to a final 18-2 USC scoreline. In his first USC action, goalie Mills hauled in 13 saves vs. the Eagles.
#2 USC 11, #11 UCSD 9
UC San Diego took an early lead and built a three-goal advantage in the first eight minutes of action. Down 5-2 entering the second period, USC got a boost from a big save by Eric Hubner against a Triton power play. Midway through the frame, Joshua Waldoch sizzled in a score from the top, and Jake Carter would get USC one back with a ripper in the final minute of the half off a feed from Zach Bettino. Another 6-on-5 finish from the Titans had USC in a 6-4 hole early in the third, prompting USC to right the ship. The Trojans would regroup and rattle off five straight goals — two more from Waldoch to work the redshirt junior into a new career high, along with blasts from Carson Kranz, Andrej Grgurevic and Tom McGuire — to lift USC into the lead for the first time. Grgurevic's 6-on-5 strike off a cross from Max Miller was the go-ahead goal for the Trojans, tugging USC ahead 7-6 with 3:02 on the clock. The rally pushed USC ahead 9-6 before UCSD broke its silence in converting a 5-meter penalty shot in the final seconds of the third. In the fourth, the teams went goal-for-goal as Miller joined the scoresheet for the fourth straight game and Waldoch punched up his fourth en route to a final 11-9 USC road win.
BY THE NUMBERS
Massimo Di Martire and Max Miller currently lead USC's scoring charge with nine goals apiece after the Trojans' opening weekend. Di Martire, Miller and Joshua Waldoch (seven goals) each scored in all four games to open the year. On the defensive end, three goalies have seen time in the cage, with redshirt sophomore Eric Hubner capping up in two games. Two Trojan goalies made their USC debuts last weekend in redshirt sophomore Bernardo Herzer (12 saves vs. Pomona-Pitzer) and freshman Charles Mills (13 saves vs. Biola). All told, USC's goalkeeping corps is averaging 9.3 saves per game. As a team, USC has outscored its opponents 67-25 for an average of 16.8 goals per game offensively and 6.3 goals-against per game defensively. The USC defense has held opponents scoreless in seven periods.
BACK FOR MORE
USC returns over half of its 2022 NCAA roster, including All-American and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Massimo Di Martire, who led the Trojans in scoring with 63 goals in the 2022 season — seven of those goals scored in the NCAA Tournament. Senior captain Carson Kranz and junior Luka Brnetic also return as All-MPSF honorees, with Kranz and Max Miller tabbed as team captains for 2023. Brnetic and Reed Stemler are seasoned hole guards ready to shut down any moves at two-meters. In front of the cage as well will be senior captain Miller and Tony Nardelli, each bringing valuable experience in their fourth years as centers. Newcomer Connor Cohen and sophomore Zac Crenshaw also add size and power to that spot for the Trojans. Back in the water for his sophomore season, Andrej Grgurevic spent his summer playing with the Australian Junior National Team. Grgurevic scored 21 goals as a true freshman last season.
STRIKE FORCE
With the graduation of some powerful left-handed shooters, sophomore Jack Vort, freshman Zach Bettino and redshirt freshman Charlie Saunders are ready to step up on the 4-6 side, joined by righties Di Martire and Jake Carter, who are proven sharpshooters on that side of the pool. Working on the 1-2 side is a group of guys making an impact with their utility and speed on both sides of the pool in returners Evan Ausmus, Tom McGuire, Joshua Waldoch and Aidan Wattson.
CAGE FIGHTERS
The Trojans' goalie squad is ripe with skill and size, with 6-foot-7 Eric Hubner bringing upperclassman experience and 6-6 Bernardo Herzer coming off a redshirt year. Incoming freshman goalies Charles Mills and Cooper Mathisrud further bolster USC in the cage as the group competes for playing time as the backbone of the Trojan defense.
NEW CREW
The balance of the 2023 USC squad is rounded out by new additions to the roster. Stanford transfer Jack Martin and Serbian newcomer Stefan Brankovic are raising the level of competition in practice for the younger additions of Spencer Averitt, Chase Landa, Luke Nelson and Will Sanchez. Each player on the roster has an opportunity to make an impact on the way to NCAAs.
PINTA'S PROGRAM
Marko Pintaric, who has been part of 14 NCAA championships during his 21 years on the USC coaching staff, is in his fifth year at the helm of the Trojan men's program. Last season, he guided the Trojans to an 18th consecutive NCAA appearance, reaching the NCAA final for the 17th time in that span. An All-American and 1998 NCAA champion as a player at USC, Pintaric served as co-head coach for the USC men for three seasons (2016-18), most recently helping the Trojans to the 2018 NCAA Championship. His USC coaching career began as an assistant coach to both the USC men and women in 2001. Pintaric stayed in a dual coaching role until NCAA rules for coaching staff sizes changed in 2015-16, prompting a move to a scouting director role with the women while his assistant coaching role continued with the men for the next four years.
LAST SEASON
USC's 2022 campaign saw the Trojans win the MPSF Tournament championship in order to clinch an 18th straight trip to the NCAA tourney. USC finished up undefeated at home and posted a 20-7 overall record after a run to the NCAA title match, where USC fell in a one-goal loss to host Cal. At season's end, USC had four players earn ACWPC All-America honors in First Team picks Jake Ehrhardt, Massimo Di Martire and Ashworth Molthen along with second-team selection Kyle McKenney. Ehrhardt also was picked as a finalist for the 2022 Peter J. Cutino Award. •
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Monday, November 25
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Monday, September 23
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Saturday, November 18
Men’s Water Polo - USC 20, Augustana 4 : Highlights (11/17/23)
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