Friday, November 18
Los Angeles, Calif.
2:45 PM
USC
30
vs
3
Austin
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Water Polo
2M
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DR
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water PoloPhoto by: Stewart McGuire
No. 3 USC Men’s Water Polo Surges Into MPSF Semis With 30-3 Win Over Austin College
November 18, 2022 | Men's Water Polo
Tony Nardelli and Max Miller score six goals each; Trojans will face UCLA at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday to fight for a place in the MPSF final.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 3 USC men's water polo team recorded the most decisive game of the day in opening its 2022 MPSF Tournament run with a 30-3 win over Austin College in today's quarterfinals. The 27-goal margin was the largest of the four games played today and featured career-high efforts by four Trojans — six each from Tony Nardelli and Max Miller, four from Tom McGuire and two by freshman Evan Ausmus. The win improved USC to 16-6 overall on the year and sends the Trojans into tomorrow's 2:45 p.m. semifinal bout against rival UCLA.
The Trojans were hot out of the gates in taking a 4-0 lead just three minutes into the game. The 'Roos got one to go midway through the frame, but USC unleashed an eight-goal surge next. Tom McGuire issued back-to-back gotta to close out the first period with USC up 9-1. And them USC tacked up three more in the early stretch of the second. Tony Nardelli was the driving force in that frame, as he rattled off four straight goals for the Trojans. USC would end the half on a five-goal run, with Evan Ausmus tallying his second and Luka Brnetic getting on the board to make it 17-2 for halftime.
USC's defense stayed strong in the third, allowing just a single goal by Austin College while the Trojans hammed home five more. USC's 2-meter play continued to shine, as Nardelli rocked in one more to make it six and Max Miller scored three in the third to work his way toward a new career high of his own. Up 22-3 entering the fourth, USC silenced the 'Roos in the final stretch. Goalie Blake Jackson snuffed a 5-meter penalty shot to help preserve the fourth-period shutout while USC piled up nine goals to top off a 30-3 final victory.
NEXT:
USC now turns to face UCLA for the fourth time this year as the Trojans take on the Bruins in the MPSF Semifinals at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 19) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
NOTABLE:
- Tony Nardelli's six goals scored today tied his career high.
- With six goals today, Max Miller set a new career high (previous was four).
- With four goals today, Tom McGuire set a new career high (previous was two).
- Evan Ausmus recorded his first career multi-goal game with two goals today.
- With two goals today, Jake Ehrhardt took over at No. 7 all-time in scoring at USC, now with 168 career goals.
- Ehrhardt is now tied with Ashworth Molthen for a team-high 15 multiple-goal outings this season.
- With a goal today, Marcus Longton leads the team in having scored in 20 games this season.
- USC's 30 goals scored was the most in a single game since a 32-goal win vs. Concordia in 2018.
MPSF TOURNAMENT
QUARTERFINAL
#3 USC 30, Austin College 3
Nov. 18, 2022 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
USC 9 - 8 - 5 - 8 = 30
AC 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 = 3
SCORING:
USC — Tony Nardelli 6, Max Miller 6, Tom McGuire 4, Jake Carter 2, Jake Ehrhardt 2, Evan Ausmus 2, Luka Brnetic 2, Chris Sturtevant, Marcus Longton, Carson Kranz, Ashworth Molthen, Reed Stemler, Joshua Waldoch.
AC — Max Wade, Nic Ruggiero, Aiden Wade.
SAVES: Kyle McKenney (USC) 0 [1st period], Blake Jackson (USC) 4, Alan Rosenberg (AC) 1 [1st period], Liam Roberts (AC) 4.
The Trojans were hot out of the gates in taking a 4-0 lead just three minutes into the game. The 'Roos got one to go midway through the frame, but USC unleashed an eight-goal surge next. Tom McGuire issued back-to-back gotta to close out the first period with USC up 9-1. And them USC tacked up three more in the early stretch of the second. Tony Nardelli was the driving force in that frame, as he rattled off four straight goals for the Trojans. USC would end the half on a five-goal run, with Evan Ausmus tallying his second and Luka Brnetic getting on the board to make it 17-2 for halftime.
USC's defense stayed strong in the third, allowing just a single goal by Austin College while the Trojans hammed home five more. USC's 2-meter play continued to shine, as Nardelli rocked in one more to make it six and Max Miller scored three in the third to work his way toward a new career high of his own. Up 22-3 entering the fourth, USC silenced the 'Roos in the final stretch. Goalie Blake Jackson snuffed a 5-meter penalty shot to help preserve the fourth-period shutout while USC piled up nine goals to top off a 30-3 final victory.
NEXT:
USC now turns to face UCLA for the fourth time this year as the Trojans take on the Bruins in the MPSF Semifinals at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 19) at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
NOTABLE:
- Tony Nardelli's six goals scored today tied his career high.
- With six goals today, Max Miller set a new career high (previous was four).
- With four goals today, Tom McGuire set a new career high (previous was two).
- Evan Ausmus recorded his first career multi-goal game with two goals today.
- With two goals today, Jake Ehrhardt took over at No. 7 all-time in scoring at USC, now with 168 career goals.
- Ehrhardt is now tied with Ashworth Molthen for a team-high 15 multiple-goal outings this season.
- With a goal today, Marcus Longton leads the team in having scored in 20 games this season.
- USC's 30 goals scored was the most in a single game since a 32-goal win vs. Concordia in 2018.
MPSF TOURNAMENT
QUARTERFINAL
#3 USC 30, Austin College 3
Nov. 18, 2022 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
USC 9 - 8 - 5 - 8 = 30
AC 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 = 3
SCORING:
USC — Tony Nardelli 6, Max Miller 6, Tom McGuire 4, Jake Carter 2, Jake Ehrhardt 2, Evan Ausmus 2, Luka Brnetic 2, Chris Sturtevant, Marcus Longton, Carson Kranz, Ashworth Molthen, Reed Stemler, Joshua Waldoch.
AC — Max Wade, Nic Ruggiero, Aiden Wade.
SAVES: Kyle McKenney (USC) 0 [1st period], Blake Jackson (USC) 4, Alan Rosenberg (AC) 1 [1st period], Liam Roberts (AC) 4.
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