By Steve Romero
Daily Bruin Contributor
The UCLA men’s water polo team had become accustomed to
winning these past two months, but a tough defeat from UC Irvine
last weekend ended their 14-game winning streak. The Bruins look to
rebound this Saturday at noon against rival USC in a non-conference
match at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.
The game will be the fourth meeting this year between the two
teams, which are among the premier water polo teams in the nation.
The Bruins (7-1 MPSF, 17-3 overall), currently ranked No. 3 in the
nation, have won the last two meetings against the No. 2 Trojans
(6-2, 18-4), including a win in the championship game of the
Northern California Tournament on Oct. 22. USC has not lost since
that game and are riding a five-game winning streak.
“They are going to be coming into the game with
confidence, but we come back well after a loss,” said co-head
coach Guy Baker. “Overall, USC is a very good defensive team.
They have two good two-meter players. They are well-coached,
well-prepared, and a difficult opponent to play against.”
“It is going to definitely be an intense game,” said
two-meter offense player senior Dave Parker.
The Bruins are treating the game like any other contest, not
doing anything differently in practice to prepare for their
crosstown rivals.
“We are doing things with more intensity and doing things
quicker,” said sophomore goalie Brandon Brooks. “Every
time we go out there, it comes down to how well we play water polo.
We just have to make sure we play our own game and come out on
top.”
Saturday is also Senior Day for the Bruins. Six seniors will
play the final home game of their UCLA careers.
“I’m pretty excited for it, but a little sad because
it is our final home game,” said Parker, a senior.
In addition to Parker, Andy Bailey, Brian Brown, Sean Kern,
Blake Wellen, and Adam Wright will also compete at home for the
last time as Bruins.
“This is one of the more mature groups to come up through
the years, continuing a long tradition,” Baker said.
“They had lots of success last year, but the fact that they
were able to keep their focus and intensity makes them
special.”
“We want to make sure (the six seniors) go out on a high
note,” Brooks added.
The match will be a non-league contest, so it will have no
bearing on the MPSF standings. UCLA is in second place in the MPSF,
but a number of games are in question due to an eligibility issue.
According to Parker, the team may have played as many as 16 games
this season with a player who did not meet eligibility
requirements. Whether this will have a negative impact on the team
will be revealed on Monday when the MPSF announces its tournament
seedings, according to Baker.