BERKELEY “”mdash; The UCLA men’s water polo team’s season came to its official end on Sunday with a win over UC Santa Barbara in the fifth-place game of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference tournament.
But the team had known that end was coming since Friday afternoon.
Heading into the tournament as the fourth-ranked team in the country, the Bruins’ needed to win the MPSF tournament outright to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and prolong their season for one more weekend.
They didn’t make it past the first game.
The Bruins lost their opening-round match against No. 5 UC Irvine 10-9 in sudden-victory overtime, effectively ending their season. They rebounded on Saturday to defeat Long Beach State 13-9 in overtime, then ended the weekend on a high note by routing UC Santa Barbara 15-8.
With their national championship hopes dashed, coach Adam Krikorian was still proud of the way his team regrouped to win their final two games.
“We played with composure, we played with intensity, intelligence, unselfishness, everything I ask for,” Krikorian said. “Obviously we all have a bitter taste in our mouths, but (winning Sunday) makes it easier.”
The Bruins’ loss on Friday came in especially heartbreaking fashion. UCLA had already played UC Irvine twice this season, winning 12-11 in sudden-victory overtime at home in September and 12-5 at Irvine in October.
The Bruins fell behind the Anteaters in the first quarter, and had to battle back in the fourth quarter to force overtime. UCLA held the lead with 30 seconds to play in the second overtime period, but UC Irvine center Tim Hutten scored his third goal of the day to force sudden-victory. One minute and 50 seconds later, UC Irvine’s Brandon Johnson scored, sealing the victory for the Anteaters.
“I think (UC Irvine) played at a different level than the other two times we played them,” Krikorian said. “They peaked at just the right time. I think we played a little hesitant and a little tentative. Maybe our expectations were really high, and I don’t think we handled those expectations particularly well.”
Sunday’s win over UC Santa Barbara also marked the final game in the careers of UCLA seniors Matt Jacobs, Justin Johnson, Matt Kellogg, Marco Santos and Cameron Smith.
“These seniors have done a lot,” Krikorian said. “They’ve all won a championship (in 2004). … They left on their terms, and I’m happy for them. I think they’re all great examples of the kinds of athletes and people we want to continue to have in this program.”