Men’s water polo driven by strong defensive attitude

Defense has been one of the main focuses for the men’s water polo team this season. By focusing on the defensive end, the Bruins hope to re-establish the foundation of the program that has won eight national championships. So far, the No. 4 Bruins (4-1) have stuck to that mantra and have been shutting down opponents.

Through the first five games of the 2008 season, UCLA has given up only 4.60 goals per game. At the NorCal Tournament last weekend in Stockton, the team averaged 4.75 goals against per game. That defense propelled UCLA deep into the tournament.

No. 1 USC, who defeated UCLA on a last second goal in the title match, struggled against the tenacious Bruin defense. The high-powered Trojans averaged 14 goals per match and an average winning margin of over 12 goals before the 6-5 nail-biter in the championship match.

The anchor of the defense has been goalkeeper Chay Lapin. The junior from Long Beach, who trained with the United States Olympic team last summer, has shown that the extra work in the cage has paid off.

“Chay was outstanding in all four games that we played,” head coach Adam Krikorian said. “He has been hot and cold, and it was great to see him play at a very high level throughout the entire tournament. It’s a good sign of things to come.”

Lapin has recorded double-digit saves in all but one game with a season high of 13 against USC in the NorCal final. In the tournament Lapin had 45 saves over the four-game span.

With the defense in good hands, the offense is what will be worked on the next few weeks in practice.

“We need to try to create some offense and, more importantly, some offensive opportunities,” Krikorian said. “We’re going to look at some creative ways to make some offense.”

The Bruins averaged 8.00 goals this season and racked up 7.50 goals a game in Stockton. The season high was 11 goals in a victory against Pacific in the tournament’s opening round.

Leading the way for the Bruins has been the duo that carried the team last season. Senior Krsto Sbutega and junior Scott Davidson, top scorers from 2007, have found the back of the net 11 and 7 times, respectively.

Sophomore utility player Ben Hohl has added six goals. Sophomore utility Jacob Murphy and freshman attacker Cullen Hennessy have each scored three goals.

CENTER BATTLE: With the departure of Justin Johnson and Marco Santos due to graduation, the center position has been up for grabs. Coach Krikorian has used a “center by committee” strategy in the first few weeks of the season.

“It’s a healthy competition yet they work and pull for one another,” Krikorian said. “We’re going to use all three of the guys in every single game they play.”

Junior Cole Consani, sophomore Jacob Murphy and freshman Matt Preciado have shared time at the position. There seems to be no frontrunner who will take over center on a permanent basis.

“All three show incredible signs of brilliance and signs of inexperience and youth,” Krikorian said. “As long as we strive to get better we’ll be fine.”

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Krsto Sbutega earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week last week after his career-high five goal performance against UC Irvine in the Bruins’ season opener Sept. 13. He shared the honor with Stanford’s Janson Wigo.

By the end of the 10-4 victory over the Anteaters, Sbutega had tallied 98 career goals in 76 matches and is nearing the UCLA top ten list.

This is the first time the three-time letterwinner from Kotor, Montenegro has earned MPSF Player of the Week honors.

FRESHMEN DEBUTS: The start of the season means that some athletes are seeing action in the pool for the first time in a UCLA cap.

Redshirt freshman attacker Cullen Hennessy netted his first collegiate goal against Irvine, and true freshman attacker Clinton Jorth scored his first goal against Pacific.

Matt Preciado and Brett Hays have also seen quality playing time early in their careers.

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