Calling the No. 5 UCLA men’s water polo team’s match
against No. 3 USC at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center Saturday morning
a must-win game would be an exaggeration, but calling it
meaningless would also be inaccurate.
An at-large bid to the NCAA tournament is still possible, albeit
unlikely, for the winner of the match. So Saturday’s match
maintains significance even as both teams look ahead to
Thanksgiving weekend and the crucial MPSF tournament.
In a season that has seen UCLA (12-7, 4-4 Mountain Pacific
Sports Federation) dominate one week and turn in a lackluster
performance the next, a win Saturday may give the Bruins the
momentum to sweep through the MPSF tournament. This is a necessary
task considering the probable absence of the at-large bid as a
safety net.
“We won four straight during the NorCal tournament,”
head coach Adam Krikorian said, referring to the Bruins’
tournament sweep in Berkeley Oct. 5-6. “I see no reason why
we can’t do that again.”
The prelude to the two schools’ afternoon football game
doesn’t quite possess the same familiarity. In three
hard-fought matches this year, the Bruins have already taken two
from USC (18-6, 5-3 MPSF). Saturday will not mark the end of the
season series between the rivals because they are scheduled to
square off in round one of the conference tournament.
“This weekend we’re going to see where things
stand,” senior defender Dan Yeilding said. “It’s
easy to focus on the tournament, but it’s very important to
play well Saturday.”
Which UCLA team will meet the end-of-the-year challenge: the
dominant one or the uninspired one? The team’s two
personalities have seemingly emerged every other week.
“I think we’re playing as well as (we did) in the
NorCal tournament,” Krikorian said. “I don’t want
to get complacent because it’s been a roller coaster year,
but right now we’re playing very well in practice.”
No game against USC can ever be deemed insignificant, and
Saturday would be a big win for UCLA, both in terms of the
postseason hopes and positioning to make a run at a conference
title.
The Bruins approach USC hoping to set the tone for the first
round of the MPSF tournament, looming just six days later over
Thanksgiving weekend.