More America’s Cup Action With USA Men’s Water Polo

THOUSAND OAKS, California, May 23. IN clearly the most exciting game thus far of the America's Cup USA Blue outlasted USA Red in a shootout. The game was tied at 7-7 after four quarters as USA Red staged a dramatic comeback rallying from a 6-2 deficit at one point to tie the game early in the fourth quarter on a Jeff Powers goal. In the shootout USA Blue goalkeeper Brandon Brooks came up huge halting the first two attempts by USA Red to give his squad a cushion. USA Blue hit their first two shots, each team hit the third attempt, USA Red hit their fourth attempt but after Jeff Tyrrell hit the fourth attempt for USA Blue it was all over.

Early on it seemed as if USA Blue was in control as they built a 3-0 lead after the first thanks to a goal from Ryan Bailey and a pair from Tony Azevedo. In the second USA Red started to chip away cutting the deficit in half at 4-2 thanks to a Dreason Barry goal with a under a minute remaining in the half. USA Blue however tacked on another as Azevedo found the net with just five seconds left and it was USA Blue leading 5-2 at half.

The third quarter was similar as USA Blue was able to keep Red at bay still leading 7-4 at the end of the period. JW Krumpolz would score at the 3:09 mark in the third and then the offense would cease for USA Blue for quite a while. In the fourth it was all USA Red as they ran off three straight goals all courtesy of Jeff Powers to tie the game up at 7-7 which led to the shootout. Chay Lapin played the first four quarters in net recording two saves for USA Red while Merrill Moses did the job for USA Blue tallying five saves during regulation. In the shootout it was Brooks against Genai Kerr with Brooks recording the two blocks.

Special thanks to USA Water Polo for contributing this report.

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