Amid a season full of brilliance and flashes of mediocre play,
the UCLA men’s water polo team accomplished the unthinkable
Saturday with a valiant 7-6 sudden-death overtime victory over No.
1 California at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center.
Though the Bruins completed a successful weekend with a 12-4
victory over Pacific on Sunday, the Cal match is what had everyone
talking.
“Every single one of us felt that we could beat
Cal,” coach Adam Krikorian said. “In our minds, we can
beat any team out there on any given day as long as we play
confidently.”
It was the sudden-death overtime heroics of sophomore center
defender Michael March that secured victory for the Bruins. March
ricocheted in the game-winning goal during a 6-on-5 power play
advantage less than two minutes into the overtime period.
“It was my shot to take, and I’ll definitely
remember this goal vividly,” said March, who has nine goals
this season. “We scouted and watched video on Cal all week,
and it paid off. It’s definitely great beating the No. 1
team.”
After squandering a late two-goal lead heading into the final
three minutes of regulation play, No. 5 UCLA (10-4, 2-0 Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation) found itself gasping for air as it
headed into the first overtime period.
However, junior driver Peter Belden gave the Bruins some
breathing room with a skip shot past Cal goalie Tim Kates in the
opening minutes of overtime.
“Getting the first goal was a huge momentum swinger for
us,” Belden said. “It was the most tiring game that
I’ve ever been in, especially having to play extra
periods.”
But although Belden’s goal gave the Bruins a 6-5 lead, the
Bears (12-4, 0-2) battled back relentlessly. With only 11 seconds
on the clock in the second overtime period, UCLA junior driver
Brett Ormsby was ejected. On the ensuing inbound pass, Cal senior
center defender Greg Panawek notched his second goal of the game,
sending the game into sudden-death overtime.
Though UCLA’s offense pulled through late against Cal, it
was the Bruins’ defense that proved to be vital in edging the
Bears in the waning minutes of the game.
“Our defense has improved a lot in the past few weeks, and
it’s great that we started off the conference season on the
right foot,” junior goalie Joseph Axelrad said.
“I’m glad we beat Cal, but I hope we can carry this
confidence and build on it for the upcoming week.”
Axelrad, who finished with seven saves against the Bears, has
been a huge part of the Bruins’ success this season.
“Joe made some big saves out there,” Krikorian said.
“He’s starting to feel more settled in. This is really
his first year playing out there, and now that he has a couple
games under his belt, he’s proven that he is one of the best
goalies in the nation.”
UCLA avoided a letdown Sunday, taking care of Pacific (5-11,
0-3) in a decisive fashion.
The Bruins never trailed, as Ormsby single-handedly controlled
the game. Recording a hat trick in only eight minutes of play,
Ormsby continued his assault on Pacific by finishing with a
game-high six goals.
With Sunday’s win, UCLA extended its winning streak to
five games, its longest of the season.