Hannes Daube, Alex Bowen Lead U.S. Men’s Water Polo to Paris Qualification
Hannes Daube and Alex Bowen scored five times each as the U.S. men’s water polo team defeated Brazil, 17-7, on Saturday in the final of the Pan Am Games.
The win marks an eighth straight win at the continental championship for the American men. With it comes a place at the Paris Olympic Games next summer.
The United States men haven’t missed a non-boycotted Olympics since 1976. They last medaled in 2008, when they won silver.
The Americans finished sixth at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last summer. It’s the same place they secured at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The U.S. skated through continental competition in Santiago, Chile, most of the way. They outscored opponents by a score of 149-34. The U.S. handled Mexico (30-2), Puerto Rico (28-9) and Brazil (24-7) in its three group-stage matches. The quarterfinal was a 28-2 win thanks to eight goals from Ryder Dodd.
In the semifinals, the U.S. dispatched Argentina, 22-7, with Max Irving scoring six times.
The championship game rematch with Brazil was tight for a quarter, the U.S. leading just 2-1 after 10 minutes. But the Americans held an 11-4 edge over the middle two quarters to relieve all doubt. Daube scored twice in the second quarter to make it 8-3 at intermission, then he fired home the first two goals of the third to widen the gap.
Chase Dodd added three goals. Irving scored twice in a game where Ryder Dodd didn’t score.
Drew Holland, who split time throughout the tournament with Adrian Weinberg, got the call for the final. He made seven saves.
Pedro Vergara, Luis Ricardo Gomes Da Silva and Gustavo De Mendonsa scored twice each for Brazil.
Ryder Dodd led the U.S. with 28 goals in the tournament, including six against Mexico, seven against Puerto Rico and the quarterfinal eight-spot. Irving added 25 goals, scoring at least five goals four times. Daube, who started relatively slowly, turned it on with 17 in his last four games and 21 total. Bowen added 20 goals. Seven players scored in double figures.
Holland recorded 33 saves in the tournament, Weinberg adding 14.
