After finishing third in the nation last year, the senior-laden
men’s water polo team is looking to achieve nothing less than
its first national championship since 2000.
Led by senior driver Brett Ormsby, junior defenseman Michael
March and senior goalie Joseph Axelrad, this year’s team is
one of the deepest and most experienced in recent memory, retaining
every starter from last year.
“We expect to play good water polo and be the best team in
the country,” coach Adam Krikorian said. “I want us to
display the qualities of all great teams: experience, maturity, and
intensity.”
UCLA’s greatest hurdles will be 2003 National Champion USC
and hard-nosed Stanford, teams which are all in the same conference
as the Bruins. Stanford returns seven of its eight top scorers,
including Olympian Tony Azevedo, a senior, while USC looks to mimic
their success from last season despite losing two key players,
goalie Bozidar Damjanovic and driver Gadi Hardar.
“Stanford is going to be our biggest competition,”
Ormsby said. “But ‘SC is our rival, so we’re
going to have to step up for that game.”
Ormsby, also a member of the U.S. Olympic Team, led the team
with 70 goals on 121 attempts last year. Though the bulk of the
offense will run through the hands of Ormsby, Krikorian stressed in
order for the team to make it to the next step, it’ll have to
be a team effort.
“Our season doesn’t hinge on any one guy,”
Krikorian said. “It’s up to all these guys to get it
done. There’s an emphasis on the seniors for maturity and
consistency, but this is a very talented team.”
A pair of seniors in center Ted Peck and driver Peter Belden
will be expected to contribute heavily to the team as well. Peck
was the second-leading scorer on the team last year netting 28
goals and Belden finished second on the team with 27 steals.
Thus far, the team is 5-2 record early on with wins over Air
Force, Navy, and Cal Baptist. The two losses were both by one goal
and came to Stanford and No. 4 California on day two of the So Cal
Tournament.
The Bruins beat Cal Baptist again and Pepperdine on day one of
the So Cal Tournament.
The first win against Cal Baptist on Sept. 16 gave a water polo
rarity ““ backup goalie Will Didinger scored a goal, the first
goal by a goalie at UCLA since 1994.
Despite the early results, it would be hasty to judge this team
at this point in the season.
“We did fine, but these games are not indicative of our
team,” Ormsby said before the So Cal Tournament.
If anything, the So Cal Tournament held from Sept. 18-19 was
indicative of how Stanford and USC, who won the So Cal Tournament,
will continue to thwart the Bruins’ title run. UCLA placed a
disappointing fourth.
Lack of experience handicapped the Bruins last year, but now,
that no longer is a valid excuse for their inability to bring home
the NCAA title back to Westwood. Nevertheless, the seniors are
confident and have an added incentive to make it their year.
“I’m definitely more motivated than ever
before,” Ormsby said.
“This is our last chance, so we have to do a good
job.”