To call the Bruin men’s water polo team’s 15-8 season a disaster would be a vast overstatement. However, for a team that annually makes the NCAA tournament and took four championships in the last seven years, the season is definitely a down one. Needing to sweep through the MPSF tournament last week to advance to […]
Author Archives: Ben Peters
Men’s water polo needs MPSF wins to stay afloat
Every year, most teams enter the MPSF tournament in do-or-die mode. Most years the UCLA men’s water polo team is not among those teams ““ but this year it is. If the No. 4 Bruins (13-7, 4-4 MPSF) do not win the three-day tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, their season will most likely be over. However, […]
Crosstown game prep for tourney
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. […]
Despite win, water polo has tough weekend
The No. 2 UCLA men’s water polo team’s 1-1 weekend was as damaging as a .500 weekend can be. In two conference games against two teams they should have defeated, UCLA lost to No. 9 Long Beach State 6-5 Friday and beat No. 12 UC Santa Barbara 8-6 Saturday. Friday’s loss assured the Bruins (11-7, […]
UCLA to play games with urgency
Last week UCLA men’s water polo head coach Adam Krikorian declared, “From this point on, every game is the most important.” Though accurate, the statement seems odd since the No. 2 UCLA team (10-6, 2-3 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) has matches against No. 9 Long Beach State (13-13, 1-5 MPSF) Friday at Sunset Recreation Center […]
March holds his ground as true freshman in pool
So you are a freshman and it’s September. You are moving into the dorms and living with strangers. You are eating new food and sleeping in a new bed. You go to class and sit among 500 other students. Oh yes, and you are starting at center defender for the No. 2 UCLA men’s water […]
Men’s water polo dominates Anteaters in physical game
In a water polo match disguised as aquatic wrestling, the No. 2 UCLA men’s team (10-6, 2-3 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) matched power with power and pinned No. 5 Irvine (11-7, 2-3 MPSF) 9-6 on Saturday. All week the Bruins anticipated the physicality the Anteaters would bring, and the game lived up to those expectations. […]