Men’s water polo gun for ‘SC win

Every Bruin loves a USC loss.

No matter what the game is, who is on the roster, or if there is a title on the line, every UCLA fan enjoys it when the Trojans are defeated by the Bruins.

This Sunday, another chapter will be added to the crosstown rivalry as the No. 4 UCLA men’s water polo team (15-5, 2-2 MPSF) hosts No. 1 USC (13-0, 4-0 MPSF) at the Sunset Recreation Center.

The Bruins are hoping to break their four-game losing streak to USC this weekend, and hand USC its first loss of the 2007 season.

The last time the Bruins were victorious over the Trojans was Nov. 13, 2004, when the Bruins, who would go on to win the national title later that year, beat their rivals to a 6-4 win.

Since then, there has been only limited history between the two teams. But this may only enhance the atmosphere surrounding Sunday’s game.

“We have only played them twice in two years,” said coach Adam Krikorian. “I think for that reason, (this game is) different. The crosstown rivalry is what it is, and it’s exciting no matter what the records are.”

Many of the current Bruins were not on the last UCLA team to beat USC.

“In my whole career I haven’t beaten the Trojans, I’ve played them three times up to now, and this is my first time at home,” redshirt sophomore Scott Davidson said. “All of us always get really excited when we play USC. They’re a good team and no one else can compete with that rivalry.”

Sunday will also be an opportunity for the Bruins to knock USC off its No. 1 ranking.

“It’s a chance to watch the No. 1 team in the country against the No. 4 team in the country,” Krikorian said. “Our rivalry is special, but it’s a little bit more special in our sport because you have national championships at stake.”

Coming off a bittersweet weekend, a triumph over USC is important to the Bruins. While they dominated No. 13 Pacific at home last Sunday, they also dropped a tough 8-7 loss to No. 4 California at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

“(We are) just trying to win one -on-one battles. (USC has) got a lot of guys that can post up against us,” redshirt senior Justin Johnson said. “They are a different team than Cal, but we need to take things from the Cal game and apply them to this game.”

Earlier this month, the Bruins suffered a defeat to the Trojans during the SoCal Tournament semifinals at UC Irvine. Although they were able to hold them to a close game, the Bruins were ultimately overpowered by the Trojans in the 7-6 loss.

Sunset Canyon Recreation Center has not seen a Bruin win over the Trojans since 2003. This Sunday, however, the Bruins are optimistic about the advantages of playing at home, remembering the support they have received from Bruin fans in the past.

“There was people everywhere. There was nowhere to sit, and people were standing on top of the locker rooms jumping up and down,” said Johnson, referring to the 2005 matchup between the rivals. “I thought they were going to fall through during half time … It’s just so much passion and energy when you play (USC). It’s so much fun to play here.”

However, just having the home pool advantage will not necessarily be enough to knock USC from its top ranking. Several times this year the Bruins have struggled to execute in the second half against top competition, often losing their momentum in the third quarter and having problems on defense. Those are all problems they’ll need to correct if they’re going to beat USC.

“It’s not so much tactically what we do,” Krikorian said. “The key is just to do it and get it done in the fourth quarter.”

Bruin fans everywhere are hoping they can do just that.

“We have our work cut out for us this Sunday,” Krikorian said. “They’ve proven to be the best team in the country this year, and they will be tough to beat.”

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