Men’s water polo falls short again in NCAA championship match


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It wasn’t how they expected the game to end.

For three quarters, the men’s water polo team kept a steady hand over Cal. Their lead wasn’t large, dipping from one point to two and back down to one. But heading into the fourth quarter of the NCAA championship on Sunday, the Trojans had a two-goal lead and a fresh dose of confidence.

After dropping two straight championship games in bitter losses to UCLA, this was the year to avenge themselves.

But then, quite suddenly, it wasn’t. An early goal in the fourth quarter was followed by a quick shot off a power play. With 4:05 left in the game, the 5-3 lead had evaporated and the score was tied. Cal took the lead 30 seconds later, and the Trojans were left scrabbling to keep up.

They evened it up twice with goals from junior driver Blake Edwards and freshman two-meter Matt Maier. But a trip to overtime deflated the momentum and the confidence of the Trojans, who eventually fell 11-8 in their third-straight NCAA championship loss.

“We started the game great,” head coach Jovan Vavic said. “We had a really very focused and defense was excellent. Did a great job in the half court defense. And we really had the game in control until the last quarter.”

That final quarter displayed a lack of endurance and attention to detail that will haunt the Trojans until next season. The defense put on a brilliant show in the first three quarters, with junior goalkeeper McQuin Baron notching a career-high 19 saves, 11 of which came in the first half. But that defense became more sloppy as the Trojans relaxed entering the final quarter.

It’s the type of simple mistake that the Trojans don’t intend to make in the future.

“We really got to understand that these big games are not going to be given to you,” Vavic said. “You have to go out and get it. You have to work harder, focus harder.”

This is a position that the Trojans are used to — both being in the NCAA championship, and losing it late in the game. Vavic’s team has been in the past 12 championship games, an unprecedented streak for a college program. But his team has fallen apart in the final quarter for three years in a row, and that pattern is one that he hopes to break.

The match ended on a sour note, with Cal taking a three-goal lead and driving in the final goal with only six seconds remaining. But for a team that will only graduate one senior, the loss is only fuel to a fire that will keep burning until next year. Only minutes after the loss, players’ minds were already moving to the next game, the next season and the next championship.

“Overtime games are always challenging. Final games are always challenging,” junior James Walters said. “That’s the way sports go. We fell short. We need to go back and take a look at everything and train for next year.”