Water polo dominates 49ers

UCLA goalkeeper Chay Lapin has developed a knack for coming up big just when it matters the most.

The redshirt junior’s performance against the Long Beach State 49ers on Saturday at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center cast off any doubt that may have previously existed. Lapin tallied 15 saves in a 10-4 victory against the Bruin’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival, helping move UCLA to 5-1 on the year.

It wasn’t the first time UCLA’s starting goalkeeper has turned in a clutch performance. Lapin’s 15 saves Saturday matched his career high, a total that he accumulated in a 9-5 upset win at home against No. 1 USC a year ago.

Already this season, Lapin has turned in more than his fair share of clutch performances, something the Bruins will need if they hope to capture an MPSF title while navigating through one of the nation’s toughest schedules. In a 6-4 win over then-No. 1 California, the Bruin goalkeeper stymied the two-time defending national champions with 12 saves. He followed up that performance with a 13-save effort in a one-goal loss to No. 1 USC in the title match of the NorCal Tournament.

Lapin was good enough to earn second-team all-conference honors a year ago as a redshirt sophomore, but he may be even better this season. Just six games into the year, the veteran is averaging over 11 saves per game, a little over three saves better than he tallied at this point last season.

A year ago, Lapin spent the early part of the season rotating in and out of the lineup with senior keeper Matt Kellogg but has fully taken on the job as his own in 2008. Many facets of his game have improved. Lapin has been touted as a “potential All-American” by his coach, Adam Krikorian, and has lived up to that billing, allowing a paltry 4.87 goals against average, down two goals from his 6.90 average in 2007.

KRIKORIAN OUT … FOR NOW

Krikorian was nowhere to be found at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center last Saturday afternoon.

Instead, assistant coach Matt Flesher was handed the reigns to the No. 2 Bruins, and guided them to a 10-4 win in the first conference game of the season. Krikorian was out serving the first of a two-game suspension he earned last season.

According to a January release from the MPSF Web site, Krikorian confronted an official at his hotel after an overtime loss to UC Irvine in last season’s MPSF Tournament.

“Confronting officials in any manner at or away from a competitive venue absolutely cannot be tolerated in intercollegiate athletics,” MPSF Executive Director Al Beaird said in the release. “The coach-official relationship is fragile at best, but to pursue things to this extent goes beyond the bounds of reasonable conduct and the spirit of sportsmanship.”

UCLA finished fifth at the 2007 tournament.

Flesher will continue his head coaching duties in the Bruins’ second MPSF game Oct. 18 against No. 4 Stanford at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center. Until then, Krikorian will lead the Bruins in their nonconference game Thursday with No. 6 Loyola Marymount, and in the SoCal Tournament, which begins on Saturday.

AROUND THE MPSF

UCLA goalkeeper Chay Lapin earned MPSF “Mikasa Co-Player of the Week” honors alongside UC Santa Barbara sophomore Milos Golic. Lapin earned the honor for recording a career-high 15 saves in a victory against Long Beach State.

Golic, who is the MPSF’s leading scorer with 37 goals, tallied a remarkable seven goals in No. 9 UCSB’s 14-12 victory over No. 8 UC Irvine. Golic also netted a hat trick in a losing effort against No. 1 USC.

The Trojans, who currently reside at the top of both the national rankings and conference standings, remained undefeated with their 17-5 triumph against an overwhelmed Gaucho squad.

Elsewhere, defending national champions Cal ended their surprising three-game losing streak with a resounding 16-4 home win over Pacific.

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