For the UCLA men’s water polo team, the opening of conference play went exactly as they had hoped it would.
In gloomy weather, the No. 2 Bruins were able to knock off No. 7 Long Beach State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, 10-4.
“It was a great win for us,” assistant coach Matt Flesher said.
Flesher was standing in for coach Adam Krikorian, who is serving a two-game conference suspension for a violation incurred last season at the MPSF tournament.
Although the margin of victory was a sizable one for the Bruins, UCLA did not break the scoring open until the second half. Long Beach State hung close for much of the first half, with UCLA holding a 4-2 advantage at the break.
“We came out a little rusty, but as the game went on we shook off a little of that,” Flesher said. “These past two weeks we really worked on conditioning, and we really picked it up in the second half.”
The game was tight through the first half with UCLA opening up with a goal by redshirt sophomore Jacob Murphy. Just a half minute later Long Beach State junior Jeff Greenwood tied it up
Defense was the name of the game for both teams on Saturday afternoon, as the score remained close throughout the first half.
“I thought we played well, especially because Long Beach threw a different defense at us,” Flesher said of the Bruins ability to get past the stingy 49ers defense for crucial scores.
The lone goal scored in the second quarter came from redshirt junior Scott Swanson to put the Bruins up 4-2.
The Bruins came out fired up for the second half. The improved conditioning paid off, as the Bruins began to create some separation. They outscored Long Beach 6-2 in the second half, erasing any sense of tension that remained from the close first half.
“We were back into game speed by later on in the game,” Flesher said.
Davidson, who has emerged as an offensive force for UCLA, had another solid day. He contributed a hat trick on the day, tallying three goals to lead UCLA in scoring.
Seven other Bruins would add a goal each to bring the total to 10, including redshirt freshmen Brett Hays and Cullen Hennessy.
“The young guys played great, especially Brett Hayes and Cullen Hennessy,” Flesher said.
Redshirt junior goalie Chay Lapin kept his impressive season going, recording a dazzling 15 saves.
“Chay Lapin was great,” Flesher said.
Lapin and UCLA were able to shut down Long Beach State offensively, allowing only two players, Jake Kinne and Jeff Greenwood, to find the back of the net. Lapin’s 15 saves were a season high.
Next on the conference schedule for the Bruins will be Loyola Marymount who they will take on Thursday at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center at 4 p.m.