Garrett Wait
Sports Assistant
The Pepperdine water polo team knew it had to gain momentum early in the season if the team was to contend with the big boys of collegiate water polo. They did just that in two big victories at the Inland Empire Tournament Saturday, Sept. 11.
However, the emotional updraft of victory was soon met by the powerful headwind of defeat as the Waves lost to a strong University of Southern California team Sunday, Sept. 12 at the USC pool.
Pepperdine started the regular season by defeating Pomona-Pitzer 12-3 and then followed up that win with another blowout against University of Santa Clara 16-6.
The Waves could not hold onto their momentum as the defending National Champion USC Trojans picked apart the Waves 10-4 the next day.
USC had a big second quarter, in which they outscored Pepperdine 4-1, to gain an insurmountable lead going into the second half. Nine different Trojans scored against the Waves’ defense.
Pepperdine’s four goals were all contributed by freshmen. Grant Miller kept the Waves within one goal thanks to his goal in the first quarter, but the Waves were then outscored 6-1 in the second and third quarters as USC took an 8-2 lead going into the final period.
Redshirt freshman Jason Lantgen scored Pepperdine’s only other first-half goal. Matt Lee and Nick Corjon, whose goals came in the fourth quarter, followed Lantgen’s goal, but it was too little too late because the Trojans still came out on top.
The Waves’ game against Santa Clara was supposed to be more of a test, but Pepperdine skillfully defeated the Mustangs. No Santa Clara player was allowed more than one goal in the 16-6 match and Pepperdine’s offense only turned the ball over three times.
Preseason No. 19 Santa Clara was ineffective against the fifth-ranked Waves, who scored in every quarter and dominated the game on both ends of the pool.
Just a few hours later, Pepperdine again smashed an opponent in the pool.
Pomona-Pitzer was the Waves’ next victim as Pepperdine won by nine goals at the University of La Verne’s aquatic center.
“We played well at this tournament, our defense was strong against these teams,” said freshman Greg Goble, “but it has to get better against teams like USC.”
Pepperdine did not play the second day of the tournament because of the scheduled date with USC, so the Waves were not eligible to win the tournament, despite finishing day one with a 2-0 record and outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 28-9.
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals University of California, San Diego and University of California, Santa Barbara both finished with 4-0 records in the tournament to win a split team title.
Other teams involved in the tournament were the two host schools University of Redlands and University of La Verne, as well as Occidental College, Whittier College, California Institute of Technology, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Chapman University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cal Lutheran.
The Waves will play at the Southern California Tournament beginning Saturday through the following day. Tournament hosts USC and Loyola Marymount University invited nine of the top 10 teams in the nation to compete in the 14 team tournament.
09-16-2004