By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor
After a long layoff—the last time Team USA played a competitive match was July 2017—in the next few weeks the U.S Men’s Senior National Water Polo Team will travel down under for a series of matches against Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and others.
First up is a pair of exhibition matches against the Australian National Team on March 28 and 30 on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. U.S. Head Coach Dejan Udovicic’s roster for these friendlies includes a few surprises, including four-time Olympian Jesse Smith who has not competed since the 2016 Rio Olympics. Now a robust 34, Smith is an interesting choice for a squad whose average age without him is 21. Udovicic’s roster includes high schoolers Hannes Daube, Quinten Osborne and Dylan Woodhead as well as Ben Stevenson and Johnny Hooper—all of whom played last summer for the U.S. Juniors squad coached by Gavin Arroyo, Udovicic’s assistant in Australia.
Missing from this squad are Olympians—and one-time USC teammates—McQuin Baron and Thomas Dunston, which is noteworthy because Dunston is still in college while Baron is finishing up his senior year at Southern Cal.
Both matches in Australia will stream live.
From Australia, Udovicic and the majority of the squad will travel to Auckland, New Zealand for the FINA Intercontinental Tournament from April 3-8, the first official competition for Team USA since the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Johnny Hooper. Photo Courtesy: Catharyn Hayne
Stevenson, Osborne, Woodhead and Nic Carniglia will drop off the roster, to be replaced by Olympians Alex Obert, Luca Cupido as well as Max Irving and Chancellor Ramirez. Irving and Ramirez will join Olympian and former Bruin teammate Alex Roelse.
The most noteworthy opening round match of the tournament is a contest against Japan. Not only will the Japanese host the 2020 Olympic Games, they surprised the U.S. last year in Budapest, beating the Americans for the first time ever en route to a program best tenth-place finish at FINA Worlds.
America’s matches at the FINA Intercontinental Tournament will be streamed; Swimming World will provide details when they are available.
Baron and Dunstan will also miss these matches; the question is; will they be back with Team USA when they’re needed most—for Olympic Qualification matches at the 2019 Pan American Games, July 26 – August 11 in Lima, Peru.
If not sooner.
1. Alex Wolf (Huntington Beach, CA/UCLA/Bruin)
13. Drew Holland (Orinda, CA/Stanford/Lamorinda)
Head Coach – Dejan Udovicic
Assist Coach – Gavin Arroyo
Assist Coach – Jeff Tyrrell
Manager – Lori Verdegaal
March 28 – USA vs Australia – 9:30pm pt – Watch LIVE
March 30 – USA vs Australia – 1:30am pt – Watch LIVE
13. Drew Holland (Orinda, CA/Stanford/Lamorinda)
Head Coach – Dejan Udovicic
Assist Coach – Alex Rodriguez
Assist Coach – Jeff Tyrrell
Manager – Lori Verdegaal