GARRETT WAIT
Sports Editor
Doug Mann takes a shot at practice (Photo courtesy Graham Shea/Photo Editor)
The Pepperdine men’s water polo team is still getting used to the idea of being a favorite. After all, the Waves lost just one starting senior from last year’s team that finished the season ranked seventh in the nation and they replaced him with an Olympian.
Jesse Smith, who played major minutes for the 2004 U.S. Olympic water polo team, returns after redshirting last season to rest after a busy year. The team also returns a group of sophomores who displayed an array of talent that met or exceeded most expectations.
“Obviously we had lot of young guys playing last year,” said Head Coach Terry Schroeder. “We started fairly rocky but by the end of year we were playing well together as a team. We even had some real nice games going down stretch. We expected good things out of the young guys and they came through and improved with each game.”
This year, the team gains leadership with the return of Smith and fellow redshirt senior Ben Tait who will man the net for the Waves. Tait and Smith are the elder statesmen on a team full of young talent.
“We think we’re pretty young,” said assistant coach Jack Kocur. “We only return great experience with Jesse Smith and Ben Tait. Everybody else is just a sophomore, so we’ve got a little experience as well as a lot of young talent.”
However, Kocur thinks Smith’s return in particular can be one of the biggest reasons this team can win right away.
“He can fill a leadership role out there in the pool,” Kocur said. “He definitely surpasses anybody else out there these days. UCLA, Stanford, USC, nobody else has a Jesse Smith.”
Schroeder agrees with Kocur.
“This team is young,” Schroeder said. “They need leadership people with game experience. What Jesse brings in is invaluable. The more that he can share with guys his understanding of the game at the higher level and as long as we do our job as coaches, we’ll all improve.”
The returns of Smith and Tait will be one of the most important factors this season for the Waves. However, Schroeder says the reliance on those two seniors won’t be as important as playing as a team.
“I think what’s going to make or break us is defense as a team,” Schroeder said. “I think offensively, we’re going to get goals. If we’re holding teams to four or five goals, we’re going to have a great season, but if we’re allowing eight, nine or 10 goals, we may struggle a little bit.”
The team spent all spring and summer working to integrate Smith and Tait, according to Schroeder. That time allowed them to get more experience playing together, all of which could lead to much bigger things down the road.
“This is a good year to make a good push toward the national championship,” Kocur said. “We want to show people that Pepperdine is definitely still on the map and maybe get back to that 1997 team.”
Despite any questions that remain, there’s only one focus for this team: to win. Kocur is concise when he talks about the expectations for this team.
“We’re expecting to win,” Kocur said. “Nothing short of it.”
08-29-2005
