NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Sophomore driver Albert
Garcia looks to launch the ball in a game against Stanford
earlier this season.
By Adam Titcher
Daily Bruin Contributor
It is not a surprise that USC is coming to Westwood. This
matchup has been known since the start of the season. The UCLA
Men’s Water Polo team never overlooks the Trojan
challenge.
“USC games are the ones you mark on the calendar,”
junior two-meter defenseman Matt Flesher said. “Playing the
Trojans is extra special.”
The No. 2 Trojans and No. 3 Bruins both look forward to
Saturday, when these two powerhouse clubs will square-off in a
crucial conference matchup.
After both teams suffered their first loss of the season to
top-ranked Stanford last weekend, USC (3-1 overall, 3-1 Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation) and UCLA (4-1, 2-0) are aware of the
playoff implications of this matchup.
“The winner of this game is going to be in the top three
for the MPSF Tournament,” USC head coach Jovan Vavic
said.
The Bruins have already seen the Trojans twice this summer,
splitting the matches. The Bruins are aware of their
opponent’s size and style of play, and they are feeling
confident they can take on the Trojans.
“We didn’t really lose any focus with the loss (to
Stanford),” UCLA sophomore driver Nick Pacelli said.
“We are a lot more prepared for ‘SC.”
As long as the Bruins learn from their mistakes against Stanford
and work harder, UCLA head coach Adam Krikorian believes that they
can win.
The Bruins will concentrate on a quicker counterattack against a
bigger Trojan squad.
After giving up five power play goals to Stanford last week,
Krikorian believes that his team will need to play better
power-play defense in order to beat USC.
Krikorian has been telling his men that as long as they win one
game at a time, they will reap the benefits in the future.
On that note, goalkeeper Brandon Brooks has found motivation in
the philosophies of steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Brooks is
taking Carnegie’s success ladder and putting deeper meaning
into it, creating an attitude for the season.
“Pay attention to the pennies and the dollars will take
its course,” he said.
Yet, it’s not forgotten in everybody’s mind that
this is more than a conference matchup. It is a game against the
hometown rival.
“This is the most important game of the season,”
Vavic said.