USC
*California
No. 1 Cal Edges No. 2 USC 10-9
November 10, 2007 | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 10, 2007
BERKELEY, CALIF. - The No. 2 USC men's water polo team came up just short of top-ranked Cal on Saturday, as the Trojans lost their second game of the year with a 10-9 decision in Berkeley. USC never trailed in the first half, but the Bears made a second-half push and held off the Trojans' comeback effort to hold Cal undefeated in MPSF play this season. USC moves to 13-2 overall and 4-2 in MPSF play after losses to UCLA and Cal.
USC and Cal have now had their past five matchups decided by just a single goal. USC is 2-3 against the Bears in that stretch, and 1-1 this season.
As the game got underway it seemed clear that once again, the 2006 NCAA championship rematch and battle between the nation's two top teams in 2007 would be another tight one. The Trojans and the Bears traded goals through the first period, as USC went ahead first after a pair of strong Trojan defensive stands and then a strike from Shea Buckner. Cal evened things with a 6-on-5 score, and then USC answered with one of its own when Jovan Vranes hit Tommy Corcoran for a close-range score and a 2-1 USC lead. The Bears earned two more power plays in the remainder of the first period, and Mike Sharf punched in one of those opportunities to leave the match tied 2-2 entering the second frame.
USC gathered up some momentum in the second, sparked by a man-up goal from Justin Rappel for a 3-2 edge. Then Matt Sagehorn would lift USC to a two-goal advantage with an even strike to the low right. That padded lead wouldn't last long, however, as Cal pulled back to within one on an even score next. Adam Shilling came out for a steal at set, but the Bears soon charged back his direction. Faced with a one-on-one with Cal's Jeff Tyrrell, Shilling came up with a big save. But Cal had Zac Monsees in position for the rebound, and the Bears pulled even again. Once again, the Bears gained another dangerous counterattack opportunity, as Tyrrell again squared off one-on-one with Shilling. Again, Shilling denied the strike with another huge save. With just 13 seconds remaining in the half, USC went up on a man advantage. A composed Trojan passing series worked the ball in for J.W. Krumpholz for a tip-in that lifted USC ahead 5-4 just before the halftime buzzer.
In the second half, however, Cal moved ahead for the first time in the game. The Bears equalized early, then followed up another Shilling save and a failed USC offensive series with yet another 6-on-5 score to take a 6-5 lead at 5:32 in the third. The teams traded goals once more. Corcoran struck on a man advantage for USC, but Cal did the same. Before the close of the third, USC's Rappel ripped in another goal to level the match once more at 7-7 with the fourth period coming up.
Cal was able to build its biggest lead of the game when Sharf struck off the counter and Tyrrell put one away for a 9-7 Cal lead. Rappel's third of the day pulled the Trojans within one with 2:18 on the clock, only to see the Bears awarded with a 6-on-5 chance that Sharf finished off for his third of the day to again put USC behind by a pair with under two minutes to go. Sagehorn cut the deficit to one with 1:05 to go, but the Trojans were unable to come up with another solid look on goal in the remaining time, leaving USC with a 10-9 loss to the Bears.
USC now look to pull out of the two-loss skid it has endured with a trip to Pacific on Sunday. The Trojans face the Tigers at 12 p.m. in Stockton to continue MPSF competition.
#1 Cal 10, #2 USC 9
USC 2 - 3 - 2 - 2 -- 9
CAL 2 - 2 - 3 - 3 -- 10
SCORING:
USC - Justin Rappel 3, Tommy Corcoran 2, Matt Sagehorn 2, Shea Buckner, J.W. Krumpholz.
CAL -Mike Sharf 3, Thomas Pearson 2, Zac Monsees 2, Vladislav Andreyev, Frank Reynolds, Jeff Tyrrell.
SAVES: Adam Shilling (USC) 7, Mark Sheredy (CAL) 10.
Players Mentioned
