USC
UC Irvine
Trojans Stay Perfect In MPSF Play
November 21, 2009 | Men's Water Polo
Nov. 21, 2009
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - The No. 1 USC men's water polo team put the finishing touches on another perfect regular-season run at home with a 15-9 win over No. 7 UC Irvine to wrap up an undefeated MPSF record on the year. The win pulled USC's home win streak out to 39 straight for some extra momentum going into next week's MPSF Championships, which will be held at USC's McDonald's Swim Stadium Nov. 27-29. In today's conference finale, three different Trojans tallied hat tricks to help carry USC past the visiting Anteaters. USC improves to 22-1 overall with the win and holds an 8-0 mark in MPSF play, while UC Irvine goes to 15-11, 3-5.
Leading the offensive surge for the Trojans were sophomore Peter Kurzeka and seniors J.W. Krumpholz and Justin Rappel with three goals apiece on the day. Kurzeka has his hat trick in place by halftime, as he nailed the first and last goal for the Trojans in the first period for a leg up on the Anteaters. UC Irvine managed the first goal of the game, but USC rattled off the next three with Kurzeka's 6-on-5 strike and blasts out of set from Krumpholz and senior Jordan Thompson. UCI followed with a finish on a 5-meter penalty shot, but USC had two more scores in store for the Anteaters, with Matt Burton finding Krumpholz for another big goal out of two meters, and the Matt Sagehorn setting up Kurzeka's power play score to get USC ahead 5-2 just before the break.
In the second frame, Rappel rifled in a 6-on-5 score to help spark another big scoring period for the Trojans. UC Irvine's Kyle Kruip would get to the back of the net twice in the second, but USC muscled farther ahead with six goals in the period. Rappel knocked in back-to-back scores, as did Kyle Sterling just before halftime. Crisp ball movement helped generate nice goals for the Trojans, who saw Sagehorn connect with Michael Rosenthal for a skip on the right side and then Rosenthal delivered a counterattack cross to Kurzeka to carry USC ahead 9-4. With 1:30 to go in the half, USC got set up on the 6-on-5 and Devon Borisoff found Sterling on the post for a high strike and a 10-4 lead. Not 30 seconds later, USC was back on the attack, as Anthony Artukovich hit Sagehorn to set up an assist to Sterling on the left side for an 11-4 USC lead at halftime.
The scoring frenzy slowed in the second half of action, as the teams traded scores the rest of the way. Thompson and Rappel would finish off a pair of USC 6-on-5 opportunities in the third, while UCI's Tom Kruip slipped in a solo shot and Kyle Kruip hit his third of the day with a successful Anteater 6-on-5 before the close of the third. In the fourth, Krumpholz blazed in his third goal to lift the score to a 14-6 USC lead, and Brian Boswell would get on the board for the Trojans. Senior goalie Kevin Coyne took over the cage for Joel Dennerley in the fourth period, with Coyne putting up two saves for the Trojans. UC Irvine's Brandon Johnson got two goals to go in the fourth, and James Frank wrapped up the game with a breakaway buzzer-beater to close out the game as a 15-9 USC victory.
USC now carries a 15-game overall winning streak as well as that 39-game home win streak into next week's MPSF Championships at McDonald's Swim Stadium. The Trojans secured the top seed in the tournament last week, and awaits word on its opening opponent. USC will play the No. 8 seed at 10 a.m. on Friday (Nov. 27) to open the Trojans' defense of back-to-back MPSF Tournament titles.
#1 USC 15, #7 UC Irvine 9
USC 5 - 6 - 2 - 2 = 15
UCI 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 = 9
SCORING:
USC - Peter Kurzeka 3, J.W. Krumpholz 3, Justin Rappel 3, Jordan Thompson 2, Kyle Sterling 2, Michael Rosenthal, Brian Boswell.
UCI - Brandon Johnson 3, Kyle Kruip 3, Tom Kruip 2, James Frank.
SAVES: Joel Dennerley (USC) 9, Kevin Coyne (USC) 2, Matt Johnson (UCI) 7.
Players Mentioned
