USC
Princeton
Semifinal Success Puts USC In Fifth Straight NCAA Final
December 05, 2009 | Men's Water Polo
Dec. 5, 2009
PRINCETON, N.J. - The USC men's water polo team pitched a first-half shutout against NCAA host Princeton on the way to securing the Trojans' fifth straight NCAA final appearance. Up against the tournament host Tigers in Saturday's semifinals, USC got eight different scorers in on the action to build up a 13-3 win over Princeton. In doing so, USC becomes the first team in NCAA water polo history to reach five straight NCAA title matches. The Trojans are now 25-2 overall on the year and stand out as the defending NCAA champions, as they will face UCLA in tomorrow's national championship game at 2 p.m. ET at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool.
USC's powerful senior class carries a 99-7 overall record into the title match on Sunday (Dec. 6), with six members of that class getting to the back of the net in today's semifinal win over Princeton. J.W. Krumpholz led them all with three goals, going back-to-back-to-back to open the second period of play and lift USC to a 6-0 lead. Sophomore goalie Joel Dennerley had 10 saves by halftime as USC held an 8-0 advantage at the half behind Krumpholz's hat trick run along with two goals from Shea Buckner and one each from their fellow seniors Matt Sagehorn, Jordan Thompson and Justin Rappel.
Sagehorn kicked off the senior show with a score off the foul on USC's first possession. Buckner would add a skipper from the top next, and Kyle Sterling helped Thompson put one away out of set to take USC ahead 3-0 at the first period. Krumpholz's three-goal frenzy came next as he finished off a set-up pass from Sagehorn and then two from Peter Kurzeka to make it 6-0. Rappel rifled one in to the bottom left to get it to 7-0, and then Thompson earned the first 6-on-5 for either team soon after. USC's advantage passed by as the teams pulled even on the possession, but Buckner slotted one off the foul at 1:12 to push USC up 8-0. Dennerley had the final word in the half when he slammed down a Princeton 6-on-5 shot to close out the half with USC's 8-0 shutout advantage intact.
Princeton would break through with a bar-in score from Matt Hale at 7:17 in the third, but USC answered when Krumpholz earned a Trojan power play that set up Rappel with the assist to Kyle Sterling for the finish and a 9-1 USC lead. Princeton's Eric Vreeland punched one in with a crosscage strike later in the period, only to see the Trojans fire right back when Anthony Artukovich set up Nico Sardo for the tip-in and another Trojans goal to make it 10-2.
In the final frame, USC rattled in three straight goals with another Thompson strike from the post, a Brian Boswell blast from set, and then Sagehorn's long lob to the back of the net. Princeton got one to go with 1:32 remaining on a shot off the foul from Mark Zelewski, bringing it to a 13-3 final score on the USC semifinal victory.
USC now turns to face UCLA in the NCAA Championship game tomorrow (Dec. 6) at 2 p.m. ET at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool. The Bruins beat LMU in overtime to move into the title match. USC and UCLA last faced off in NCAA action in the 1996 championship game, which UCLA won 8-7. USC enters its fifth straight NCAA title match as the first team in history to have accomplished such a feat. The Trojans are the defending champions and looking for their fifth all-time national championship, of which the past four have come in wins over Stanford. USC and UCLA have split wins this season, with the Trojans winning twice and the Bruins also claiming two victories. USC head coach Jovan Vavic is 26-20 all-time against UCLA, and overall, USC's senior class has accumulated a 99-7 record entering tomorrow's finale.
NCAA Semifinals - Dec. 5 (Princeton, N.J.)
USC 13, Princeton 3
USC 3 - 5 - 2 - 3 = 13
PU 0 - 0 - 2 - 1 = 3
SCORING:
USC - J.W. Krumpholz 3, Matt Sagehorn 2, Shea Buckner 2, Jordan Thompson 2, Justin Rappel, Kyle Sterling, Nico Sardo, Brian Boswell.
PU - Matt Hale, Eric Vreeland, Mark Zalewski.
SAVES: Joel Dennerley (USC) 11, Brett Giery (USC) 6, Mike Merlone (PU) 7, Scottie Hvidt (PU) 2.
Players Mentioned
