LOS ANGELES, California, September 27. FOR the first time in nearly two years, the University of Southern California’s men’s water polo team is not the best in the United States — at least, not according to a new coaches poll.<\/p>\n
After losing to UCLA 9-8 in last weekend’s NorCal tournament, the USC Trojans ended a 41-game winning streak that went back to November 2011, which was also the last time the team was not on top of the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s poll of college coaches.<\/p>\n
UCLA now has the opportunity to boast supremacy over its crosstown rival after years of defeat at the hands of the Trojans. USC has won the past five NCAA water polo titles, which is a record. Though in-season matches are not often an indicator of postseason performance, it does appear that USC’s national title dynasty will face a tough challenge this year. Last year’s national title had some drama, as USC won in a nailbiter over UCLA.<\/p>\n
CWPA Coaches Poll, Week of September 23
\n(Number after team name indicates poll ranking last week)<\/p>\n
1 University of California-Los Angeles \t(2)
\n2 University of Southern California (1)
\n3 Stanford University (5)
\n4 University of California (4)
\n5 University of the Pacific (3)
\n6 University of California-Santa Barbara (6)
\n7 Long Beach State University (9)
\n8 Loyola Marymount University (8)
\n9 Pepperdine University (10)
\n10 University of California-Irvine (7)
\n11 (T) Concordia University (16)
\n11 (T) Princeton University (13)
\n13 University of California-Davis (12)
\n14 University of California-San Diego (11)
\n15 Santa Clara University (15)
\n16 St. Francis College Brooklyn (14)
\n17 Brown University (17)
\n18 University of Redlands (19)
\n19 George Washington University (RV)
\n20 (T) United States Air Force Academy (20)
\n20 (T) Johns Hopkins University (RV)
\nRV Bucknell University (18)
\nRV Harvard University (NR)
\nRV Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (NR)
\nRV United States Naval Academy (RV)
\nRV Mercyhurst University (RV)<\/p>\n
RV = Received Votes
\nNR = Not Ranked<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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