{"id":395147,"date":"2019-09-23T10:30:30","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T17:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=395147"},"modified":"2019-09-26T05:04:38","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T12:04:38","slug":"notes-from-a-memorable-start-to-the-2019-ncaa-mens-water-polo-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/notes-from-a-memorable-start-to-the-2019-ncaa-mens-water-polo-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes from a Memorable Start to the 2019 NCAA Men\u2019s Water Polo Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

BROOKLYN, NY. After a string of eye-opening developments\u2014UC Santa Barbara beating #1 teams twice in one week and Cal losing three times in the season\u2019s first two weekends, including to UC Davis for the first time in four decades\u2014it seems right to delve into what\u2019s going on with men\u2019s water polo. And correct a wrong impressions about the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA).<\/p>\n

Big Four No More?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Two weekends ago, USC (4-1) lost decisively to UCSB. Not only was it the mighty Trojans\u2019 first loss to the Gauchos since 1990\u2014a streak of 55 straight\u2014they also dropped a match on their opening weekend for the first time since 1994. Last Thursday, the Gauchos beat Stanford, which had assumed top ranking from USC.<\/p>\n

[#2 UC Santa Barbara Storms into Avery, Shocks #1 Stanford in Men\u2019s Water Polo<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

Adding to the Pac-12\u2019s angst: Cal (7-3) has already lost three games to non-Pac-12 opponents\u2014meaning five losses by MPSF team that constitute the \u201cBig Four\u201d\u2014Cal, Stanford, UCLA, USC\u2014in the first two weeks of the season.<\/p>\n

To put this in context, in the three years since five teams bolted the MPSF for the Golden Coast Conference (GCC) prior to the 2016 season, members of the Big Four had lost five times to non-Pac-12 opponents. Three of those losses came in 2016, when Stanford was beaten three times; twice to Pacific and once by UCSB.<\/p>\n

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Stanford’s Ben Hallock; a hat trick against UCSB is not enough. Photo Courtesy: Bryan Williams<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s perhaps convenient to point to the mercurial rise of of the Gauchos\u2014with six wins over CWPA Top Ten opponents in a blistering 13-0 start to their season\u2014but the overall gap between the Big Four and their non-MPSF opponents does appear to be narrowing. This weekend, Cal had to go to overtime to beat San Jose State 13-11. UCLA\u2014which perhaps has an unblemished record (6-0) because they have yet to face UCSB\u2014went down 5-1 to #6 Pepperdine on Saturday at home before rallying for a 14-12 win.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still early in the season, but the losses that Pac-12 teams have suffered in 2019 are at least noteworthy\u2014and the losing may continue in the 2019 MPSF Invitational, this weekend at UCLA\u2019s Spieker Aquatics Center.<\/p>\n

Slaying the Trojans and the Cardinal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The news out of Claremont for USC\u2019s opening weekend was stunning. The mighty Trojans were derailed by a determined (and obviously talented) Gaucho group. Two months from now, it may not mean anything\u2014especially for USC, which so far this season has missed Marko Vavic<\/strong> and Sawyer Rhodes<\/strong>, mainstays of last year’s national champion. Also missing: uber freshman Stefan Vavic<\/strong>. Reports suggest that Rhodes may struggle to return this season; if their issues are tied to an NCAA investigation of the program\u2014which at the moment can only be speculated about\u2014the Vavic brothers may not play at all.<\/p>\n

Even if the program gets Marko back and his brother in the water, their father\u2019s absence has to impact USC recruiting. If there\u2019s one thing that Jovan was known for, it was his ability to entice foreign prospects to Troy. Last year there were four foreign freshmen on the USC men’s roster, including Australia\u2019s Nic Porter<\/strong>, who emerged as the Trojan\u2019s top goalie. This doesn’t include Jacob Mercep<\/strong>, the Serbian lefty who was enticed to USC by the prospect of a national championship\u2014and became the Trojans leading scorer and 2018 NCAA final MVP.<\/p>\n

[Jacob Mercep Named MPSF Player of the Week<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

For 2019? No foreign-born freshmen. Some may cheer this development; most would subscribe to the reality in NCAA polo that foreign athletes are difference makers.<\/p>\n

\"vavics-ncaa-dec18\"

Marko and Jovan Vavic after the 2018 NCAA final\u2014a long time ago… Photo Courtesy: Catharyn Hayne<\/p><\/div>\n

One needs look no further then UCSB, which was led last fall by Serbian Boris Jovanovic<\/strong> (77goals) and is now getting major contributions from senior Ivan Gvozdanovic<\/strong>, also of Serbia, as well as Sam Nangle<\/strong> of Australia and Tiago Bonchristiano<\/strong> of Brazil. Gvozdanovic and Nangle have been key factors in two Gaucho wins over #1 teams in a week\u2014a remarkable accomplishment by any stretch.<\/p>\n

Wolf Wigo\u2019s<\/strong> team may have surprised the Trojans, but there\u2019s no way they should have caught the Cardinal (6-1) by surprise last week\u2014or, maybe they did because the Gauchos (13-0) broke out to a 6-1 lead on their way to a convincing 15-10 victory at Avery Aquatic Center. Leading the way was Leo Yuno<\/strong>, a (perhaps) unheralded attacker who scored three of those first six goals and assisted on two of them on his way to a seven-point afternoon (four goals, three assists).<\/p>\n

[UC Santa Barbara Aims to Replicate Gauchos\u2019 1979 NCAA Championship Run<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

Stanford rebounded against UC Davis on Saturday, taking a 16-8 win over the Aggies; The Cardinal may get another shot at the Gauchos at the MPSF Invite, but there\u2019s no dismissing the huge implications of UCSB\u2019s back-to-back conquests of #1 teams: it\u2019s an impressive body of early season work that should give the Gauchos at least a share of the top spot in the polls this week.<\/p>\n

UC Davis captures an historic victory<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If the Trojans were tripped up by the Gauchos, it looks like Cal early on fell into a deep hole, especially against UC Davis. Losing to UCSB at the Triton Invitational in the first week of the season now seems understandable. Much harder to explain: a 16-13 OT loss to the Aggies\u2014for the first time in more than anyone can remember.<\/p>\n

The only record available is the Cal website, which has entries that date back to 2000. Over a span of 19 years\u2014and 27 matches\u2014Cal had not lost to their regional rival. But, UC Davis Head Coach Dan Leyson <\/strong>believes it may be much longer\u2014as far back as 1976. After his team\u2019s win against a Cal program that has represents a standard of excellence in the Bay Area, Leyson cited a total team effort.<\/p>\n

– Quotes courtesy of Jason Spencer, UC Davis Assistant Director, Athletics Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had balanced scoring we had some guys step up and have hat tricks in the game and those guys had been working so hard, and trying so hard, and it hasn\u2019t been happening for them and it finally paid off that game. Also, really timely goalkeeper play. There were a couple instances where we were exposed and, in that moment, Jonah (Addington)<\/strong> stepped up \u2014 especially in overtime \u2014 and made two huge steals where he was more aggressive in coming out. I think that was a big step. We need great goalkeeper play and we had it in that game and the result shows.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so happy for them. It feels great and I\u2019m happy for the guys because they wanted it so bad but, you know what? It\u2019s one game and it\u2019s early in the season and we\u2019ve talked about it already. Is this going to be our high point for the season? We\u2019ve already learned about complacency and the negative things that come along with winning. Not everything that comes along with winning is positive and we\u2019ve learned from that and we\u2019re aware of that. So, we\u2019re just going to keep going forward.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Leyson also added this thought, which may have been most telling: \u201cIt was just an overall team feeling that felt better in that game. Now, the question is, can we keep that going?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The answer this weekend was \u201cNo.\u201d The Aggies (5-4) dropped a 14-10 decision to the Golden Bears on Sunday at their own tournament, a day after getting beat 16-8 by Stanford at Davis. In truth, beating Cal, or Stanford or any other non-conference opponent means relatively little in the bigger picture; what does count is how UC Davis does against Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) rivals, in particular, UC San Diego.<\/p>\n

[Friday Rewind: UC San Diego Beats Princeton in Wild Men\u2019s Water Polo Contest<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

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Victory after 40 years! UC Davis’ Dan Leyson celebrates. Photo Courtesy: Catharyn Hayne<\/p><\/div>\n

In their first weekend of play Leyson\u2019s squad dropped a 12-8 decision to the Tritons; luckily it was a non-conference match-up, but UCSD was missing Kacper Langiewicz<\/strong>, a senior center who has been nursing an injury early on\u2014but should be back in the water on November 9th, when the two teams who have split the WWPA title the last six years meet in their final regular season match before the WWPA tournament.<\/p>\n

The Tritons are NOT going anywhere<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If UC Davis fans had hopes that their biggest obstacle to an NCAA berth might be going away, they\u2014and this columnist\u2014were sadly mistaken. Despite a move to NCAA Division I status, and an almost total migration to the Big West Conference that will be completed by 2020, the Tritons will be staying put in the WWPA for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

[2019 Swimming World Men\u2019s Water Polo Previews: Western Water Polo Association<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

This was confirmed by Steve Doten<\/strong>, WWPA Commissioner; it makes sense because UCSD has grown comfortable getting to the NCAA tournament through the conference\u2019s automatic berth\u2014even though the conference is meant to be a haven for DII programs. the reality is more than half of its members on the men\u2019s side are Division I programs. For the Aggies to get back to the big show this December, they\u2019ll need to beat the Tritons\u2014and maybe a resurgent Loyola Marymount program.<\/p>\n

Fordham, beast (and best) of the East?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Harvard has gotten off to a fast (9-0) start, Bucknell has perhaps the best player (Rade Joksimovic<\/strong>) and La Salle (5-8) has demonstrated it\u2019s no longer a bottom-feeder. But the real surprise team of the East has been Fordham. They\u2019ve beaten #14 (T) Bucknell and #16 St. Francis, and pushed #12 Harvard in an 11-8 loss at the Princeton Invitational. At 9-2 and already 3-0 in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC), the Rams, whose polo players do not receive athletic scholarships, are off to a fantastic start, including a 4-0 sweep last weekend at the Bison Invitational.<\/p>\n

[2019 Swimming World Men\u2019s Water Polo Previews: Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference-East<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

Leading the way for Head Coach Bill Harris\u2019 squad has been Jake Miller-Tolt<\/strong>, who will finish his career in the Bronx as the Rams\u2019 all-time leading scorer. Helping out on both ends of the ball has been Oscar Nomura<\/strong>, who transferred this summer from MAWPC rival Wagner.<\/p>\n

\"nomura-fordham-sep19\"

Fordham’s Bill Harris, Oscar Nomura and Brian Bacharach. Photo Courtesy: M. Randazzo<\/p><\/div>\n

At the Navy Invitational, Nomura talked about moving from one New York City program to another.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had an epiphany over winter break. I was going to get stick with a major that I didn\u2019t want. I really wanted to do a bachelor of science. Coming to Fordham and doing Environmental Science, which is not a program at Wagner, was my best move. Water polo-wise, this team and the culture fit me better than Wagner did.”<\/em><\/p>\n

– You were a founding member of the Seahawk men\u2019s program\u2014and now you\u2019ve moved literally to the other side of the city to play for the Rams.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Those guys are my best friends\u2014I spent pretty much every waking minute with them. It was definitely the toughest decision that I ever made.<\/em><\/p>\n

“I still think about it but in the end, I think I made the right decision for me personally.”<\/em><\/p>\n

– Chris Radmonovich, who recruited you to Wagner, has left the Seahawks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I got a text from one of my buddies at Wagner about Chris stepping down and I was in complete shock. I could never image that happening\u2014it was surreal to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

[Radmonovich Steps Down After Nine Superb Years Leading Wagner Water Polo<\/em><\/a>]<\/p>\n

“You can\u2019t look back. We have a really good team here and I\u2019m ready to move forward.”<\/em><\/p>\n

And so the Rams have. Next up: George Washington, back-to-back MAWPC title-holders, come to the Bronx on Saturday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BROOKLYN, NY. 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