Men’s Water Polo
Garrett Wait
Sports Assistant
Andrea Barrett / Staff Photographer
Senior France Denk fights for possession of
the ball during the Wasko Tournament.
The Pepperdine men’s water polo team split on each day of competition at the NorCal Tournament on Saturday and Sunday in Stockton, Calif. The ninth-ranked Waves stayed at .500 for the season with an overall record of 6-6.
Saturday, the Waves played at the University of the Pacific Championship Pool, starting off with their second consecutive loss against No. 7 Loyola Marymount University. LMU beat Pepperdine 6-5. The last time the Waves played the Lions, 11th-ranked LMU claimed a 12-9 upset over the then-No. 6 Waves.
The match was a defensive struggle from the beginning, with neither team able to really capitalize on the other’s mistakes. Pepperdine goalie Robbie Miller was as effective as he could be, saving seven shots.
Pepperdine’s offense simply could not break through LMU’s stifling defense. The Lions scored the only goal in the first quarter, and that would end up being the difference in the game.
LMU took a 3-1 lead into the half and looked to expand on their lead, but the Waves matched them goal for goal in the third quarter, entering the fourth and final quarter down by two goals.
Pepperdine put together its best offensive effort of the match, scoring three goals in the fourth quarter. However, LMU scored two goals of its own, paving the way for a one-goal defeat of the Waves.
Freshman Grant Miller and senior Josh Acosta each scored twice for Pepperdine, while freshman Matt MacDonell added one goal for a Pepperdine total of five. Six different LMU players notched goals.
“We didn’t really make any adjustments after the LMU game,” Head Coach Terry Schroeder said. “We just needed to focus more on defense, and I think we did that pretty well.”
In the second game of the first day, Pepperdine went up against University of California, Davis. The Waves bounced back from their early loss to LMU thanks in large part to a dominant performance by freshman Jason Lantgen.
The Waves won the match 8-5 while Lantgen scored half of Pepperdine’s goals. The Waves dominated the first half, entering half time with a 5-2 advantage after four goals in the second quarter.
In the third and fourth quarters, Pepperdine and UC Davis went goal for goal, each team scoring once in the third and twice in the fourth quarter to finish the scoring. Acosta, freshmen Matt Digges and Adam Hewko and redshirt freshman Jason Whitlock each added one goal for the Waves. Robbie Miller stopped four shots as goalie.
Pepperdine went into the second quarter needing to be more assertive on offense; their defense had been strong on the first day.
They played St. Francis in the first match of the second day in what turned out to be an exciting back and forth match.
St. Francis ended up beating the Waves 9-8, but the match was as competitive as it gets.
The Waves scored two goals in every period and St. Francis scored two goals in all but the second period, in which they scored three.
Grant Miller scored three of Pepperdine’s goals in the match, Digges added two of his own, and Acosta, Hewko and freshman Jeff Willis each scored one goal. Robbie Miller was as effective as he could be in goal, stopping 10 St. Francis shots.
10-07-2004
