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Photo by: Katie Chin
Host No. 1 USC Men’s Water Polo Sets Up For 19th Straight NCAA Appearance
November 28, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
Trojans are looking for an 11th national title as they host this year’s NCAA action at Uytengsu Aquatics Center Dec. 1-3.
THIS WEEK
After winning its second straight MPSF Tournament title, the Trojans are off to their 19th consecutive NCAA tournament, looking for an 11th national championship on the men's side. Top-ranked USC (15-6) is seeded No. 3 in this year's National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship, to which the Trojans play host at Uytengsu Aquatics Center from Dec. 1-3. USC opens the eight-team tournament against San José State at 6 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 1) to fight for a spot in a 4 p.m. seminfinal bout on Saturday (Dec. 2). The 2023 NCAA championship game is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 3).
FOLLOW ALONG
Quarterfinal and semifinal games will stream live at ncaa.com/liveschedule, and the NCAA championship game will air on ESPNU. Live stats for all games can be found at thefosh.net. All links are also available at the NCAA TOURNAMENT CENTRAL page.
RANKINGS
USC started the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the national preseason poll and tied at No. 2 in the preseason MPSF Coaches Poll. USC has since spent time at No. 3 and No. 4 during the season, and has since risen from No. 3 to No. 1 in the land as of the latest national rankings (released Nov. 22).
NCAA NOTES
Finalists in the last three NCAA races, the Trojans are making their 19th consecutive and 38th overall appearance in the national tournament. With 10 total crowns to its name on the men's side, USC made history in 2012 as the first collegiate men's water polo team to make eight consecutive appearances and then added to their historic efforts in becoming the first collegiate water polo team ever to win six straight NCAA titles in 2013. The Trojans are looking to claim their 11th title, with the program's first-ever NCAA championship won 25 years ago in 1998. As a university, USC has won 135 national team championships, including 112 NCAA team titles. USC leads the nation in men's NCAA team titles with 85 to date.
THE FIELD
The 2023 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship features an eight-team field, with two at-large teams and six automatic qualifiers as conference champions. The top two seeds are at-large selections out of the MPSF — top-seeded UCLA (24-2) and No. 2 seed Cal (20-5). The rest of the field is comprised of automatic qualifiers: MPSF champion USC (15-6), Big West Conference champion UC Irvine (18-9), Golden Coast Conference champion San José State (13-9), Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference champion Fordham (24-7), Northeast Water Polo Conference champion Princeton (27-5) and Western Water Polo Association champion Biola (21-12).
THIS TIME LAST YEAR
Last season, USC capture the MPSF Tournament championship to score an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Berkeley. The Trojans carried an 18-6 record and was ranked No. 1 in the nation on the way to their 18th straight NCAA appearance. USC opened the tourney with an 11-8 win over Princeton in the quarterfinals to take a semifinal spot against UCLA. The Trojans topped the Bruins 11-8 in a strong semifinal showing, then turned to take on the tournament host Cal in the title match. In a wild final, the Golden Bears were able to fight out of a hole and claim a 13-12 victory over USC. At the close of the event, USC had Jake Ehrhardt and Massimo Di Martire named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, and Ashworth Molthen and Kyle McKenney earning Second Team selections. The tournament marked Marko Pintaric's fourth NCAA run as USC head coach, with three straight visits to an NCAA final, as USC finished out 2022 with a 20-7 overall record.
MPSF CHAMPS
USC put forth a powerful performance at the 2023 MPSF Tournament to secure its 19th consecutive NCAA berth, handing top-seeded UCLA its first loss of the year with a 13-9 win in the semifinals before topping No. 2 seeded host Cal in a nail-biter 13-12 in the championship game. It was the Trojans' second straight MPSF Tournament title and 13th overall, as well as the fifth time USC has won back-to-back crowns. USC had opened the 2023 tourney with a 20-4 win over Augustana to take its place in the semis against rival UCLA. Against the Bruins, USC never trailed, taking control in the second period to turn a one-goal game into a five-goal USC advantage and keep the Bruins at bay the rest of the way. Luka Brnetic led USC with three goals in the crucial win, and Max Miller added two. In a vital title match against host Cal, USC fought through 10 tie scores and three fourth-period lead changes before the Trojans staked their claim on their second straight MPSF crown. A Miller hat trick by halftime had helped USC lead it 6-5 at the break. Another in the third, along with Massimo Di Martire's third of the day, got the Trojans to be all even with the Golden Bears at 8-8 entering the fourth. That eight-minute stretch was wild, but Miller never stopped. He got USC up 10-8 with two incredible goals on USC's first two possessions for the fourth frame. Cal fired back, and would take a 12-11 lead with 2:20 to go. Off a feed from Tom McGuire, Miller unleashed his seventh goal of the day to lock even again, and less than a minute later fellow captain Carson Kranz hit Di Martire for a 6-on-5 sizzler that put USC on top 13-12 with 1:12 on the clock. USC's defense locked in for the duration, with McGuire nabbing a steal and goalie Bernardo Herzer coming up with a clutch takeaway before Cal clanged the bar on its last-gasp attempt to see the Trojans reign supreme as MPSF champions for the 13th time. Miller would be named MVP of the tournament, joined by Di Martire and Kranz on the All-Tournament Team.
BY THE NUMBERS
Max Miller is spearheading USC's scoring charge with 43 goals, just ahead of Massimo Di Martire's 34 to date. Miller also leads the team in having tallied 14 multiple-goal games this year, while he and Di Martire have each scored in a team-best 18 games. On the assists front, three Trojans — Zach Bettino, Carzon Kranz and Tom McGuire — have each dished out 29 assists, while Di Martire tops the steals board with 31. Miller and fellow two-meter man Tony Nardelli have combined for 82 drawn exclusions, with Miller leading the count with 52 through his 21 games of work. On the defensive end, three goalies have seen time in the cage, with redshirt sophomore Bernardo Herzer capping up in 16 games and redshirt sophomore Eric Hubner checking for seven. In their respective USC debuts, Herzer (12 saves vs. Pomona-Pitzer) and freshman Charles Mills (13 saves vs. Biola) set career highs. All told, USC's goalkeeping corps is averaging 9.8 saves per game. As a team, USC has outscored its opponents 270-187 for an average of 12.9 goals per game offensively and 8.9 goals-against per game defensively. The USC defense has held opponents scoreless in 15 periods of regulation play.
SWEEPS WEEK
For the first time this season, USC swept the MPSF weekly awards on Nov. 6, with two first-timers on the honor roll in MPSF Player of the Week Andrej Grgurevic and MPSF Newcomer of the Week Bernardo Herzer. The two Trojans were instrumental in a key conference victory, as No. 4 USC beat No. 3 Stanford 10-6. Grgurevic tied his career high with three goals on four shots in the crucial Trojan win over the Cardinal. Grgurevic scored USC's first two goals of the game, and his third came as USC's final goal of the solid 10-6 win over the Cardinal. Grgurevic's three-goal effort was just his second multiple-goal game this season. He also had a steal in the Trojans' win. This is Grgurevic's first MPSF Player of the Week pick, and he was the second Trojan to earn the honor this season, joining Max Miller. Grgurevic was selected an MPSF Newcomer of the Week last season as a true freshman. Redshirt sophomore goalie Herzer, meanwhile, set a new career high for himself with 14 saves in beating the Cardinal. The MPSF Newcomer of the Week also nabbed two steals in the victory while helping to anchor USC's defense, which shut out the Cardinal for 11 minutes. The 14-save outing marked Herzer's second straight double-digit save effort, and the sixth of his USC career. Stanford's six goals scored marked a season low total for the Cardinal. Herzer was the second Trojan to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Week this season, following true freshman Zach Bettino.
MPSF TO THE MAX
USC capped off a sizable home stretch with a decisive win over visiting No. 10 Pacific, led by senior Max Miller's four-goal outburst. For his efforts, Miller was named MPSF Player of the Week for the first time in his Trojan career with his pick on Oct. 2. Miller scored USC's first three goals of the game in an eventual 16-6 win over the Tigers. The victory avenged last year's road loss at Pacific thanks to a well-rounded USC effort, led by Miller's four goals to go along with a drawn exclusion and steal by the senior. He was 4-of-5 shooting in the USC win. Miller was the first Trojan to win the award since 2021. He was an MPSF Newcomer of the Week selection as a freshman in 2020. Miller currently stands as USC's top scorer with 43 goals entering the postseason.
BETTINO ON THE BOARD
Freshman Zach Bettino captured his first official award as a Trojan in being selected MPSF Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 25 following a clutch performance at the Overnght/MPSF Invitational. Bettino scored the game-winning goal in overtime and finished with a career-high four goals to help USC beat No. 4 Stanford 13-12 in the third-place game on Sunday. Before that game, Bettino's season best had been two-goal outings, making this game a breakout for the freshman, who also had five assists at the tournament. Against the Cardinal, he was 4-of-6 shooting and dealt out an assist and a steal. Bettino was the first Trojan to pick up weekly honors from the conference this season, and was the 12th USC player to earn the award since it began in 2016. He is now sixth on the team in scoring this season with 24 goals.
BACK FOR MORE
USC returns over half of its 2022 NCAA roster, including All-American and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Massimo Di Martire, who led the Trojans in scoring with 63 goals in the 2022 season — seven of those goals scored in the NCAA Tournament. Senior captain Carson Kranz and junior Luka Brnetic also return as All-MPSF honorees, with Kranz and Max Miller tabbed as team captains for 2023. Brnetic and Reed Stemler are seasoned hole guards ready to shut down any moves at two-meters. In front of the cage as well will be senior captain Miller and Tony Nardelli, each bringing valuable experience in their fourth years as centers. Newcomer Connor Cohen and sophomore Zac Crenshaw also add size and power to that spot for the Trojans. Back in the water for his sophomore season, Andrej Grgurevic spent his summer playing with the Australian Junior National Team. Grgurevic scored 21 goals as a true freshman last season.
STRIKE FORCE
With the graduation of some powerful left-handed shooters, sophomore Jack Vort, freshman Zach Bettino and redshirt freshman Charlie Saunders are ready to step up on the 4-6 side, joined by righties Di Martire and Jake Carter, who are proven sharpshooters on that side of the pool. Working on the 1-2 side is a group of guys making an impact with their utility and speed on both sides of the pool in returners Evan Ausmus, Tom McGuire, Joshua Waldoch and Aidan Wattson.
CAGE FIGHTERS
The Trojans' goalie squad is ripe with skill and size, with 6-foot-7 Eric Hubner bringing upperclassman experience and 6-6 Bernardo Herzer coming off a redshirt year. Incoming freshman goalies Charles Mills and Cooper Mathisrud further bolster USC in the cage as the group competes for playing time as the backbone of the Trojan defense.
PINTA'S PROGRAM
Marko Pintaric, who has been part of 14 NCAA championships during his 21 years on the USC coaching staff, is in his fifth year at the helm of the Trojan men's program. Last season, he guided the Trojans to an 18th consecutive NCAA appearance, reaching the NCAA final for the 17th time in that span. An All-American and 1998 NCAA champion as a player at USC, Pintaric served as co-head coach for the USC men for three seasons (2016-18), most recently helping the Trojans to the 2018 NCAA Championship. His USC coaching career began as an assistant coach to both the USC men and women in 2001. Pintaric stayed in a dual coaching role until NCAA rules for coaching staff sizes changed in 2015-16, prompting a move to a scouting director role with the women while his assistant coaching role continued with the men for the next four years.
LAST SEASON
USC's 2022 campaign saw the Trojans win the MPSF Tournament championship in order to clinch an 18th straight trip to the NCAA tourney. USC finished up undefeated at home and posted a 20-7 overall record after a run to the NCAA title match, where USC fell in a one-goal loss to host Cal. At season's end, USC had four players earn ACWPC All-America honors in First Team picks Jake Ehrhardt, Massimo Di Martire and Ashworth Molthen along with second-team selection Kyle McKenney. Ehrhardt also was picked as a finalist for the 2022 Peter J. Cutino Award. •
After winning its second straight MPSF Tournament title, the Trojans are off to their 19th consecutive NCAA tournament, looking for an 11th national championship on the men's side. Top-ranked USC (15-6) is seeded No. 3 in this year's National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship, to which the Trojans play host at Uytengsu Aquatics Center from Dec. 1-3. USC opens the eight-team tournament against San José State at 6 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 1) to fight for a spot in a 4 p.m. seminfinal bout on Saturday (Dec. 2). The 2023 NCAA championship game is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 3).
FOLLOW ALONG
Quarterfinal and semifinal games will stream live at ncaa.com/liveschedule, and the NCAA championship game will air on ESPNU. Live stats for all games can be found at thefosh.net. All links are also available at the NCAA TOURNAMENT CENTRAL page.
RANKINGS
USC started the 2023 season ranked No. 2 in the national preseason poll and tied at No. 2 in the preseason MPSF Coaches Poll. USC has since spent time at No. 3 and No. 4 during the season, and has since risen from No. 3 to No. 1 in the land as of the latest national rankings (released Nov. 22).
NCAA NOTES
Finalists in the last three NCAA races, the Trojans are making their 19th consecutive and 38th overall appearance in the national tournament. With 10 total crowns to its name on the men's side, USC made history in 2012 as the first collegiate men's water polo team to make eight consecutive appearances and then added to their historic efforts in becoming the first collegiate water polo team ever to win six straight NCAA titles in 2013. The Trojans are looking to claim their 11th title, with the program's first-ever NCAA championship won 25 years ago in 1998. As a university, USC has won 135 national team championships, including 112 NCAA team titles. USC leads the nation in men's NCAA team titles with 85 to date.
THE FIELD
The 2023 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship features an eight-team field, with two at-large teams and six automatic qualifiers as conference champions. The top two seeds are at-large selections out of the MPSF — top-seeded UCLA (24-2) and No. 2 seed Cal (20-5). The rest of the field is comprised of automatic qualifiers: MPSF champion USC (15-6), Big West Conference champion UC Irvine (18-9), Golden Coast Conference champion San José State (13-9), Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference champion Fordham (24-7), Northeast Water Polo Conference champion Princeton (27-5) and Western Water Polo Association champion Biola (21-12).
THIS TIME LAST YEAR
Last season, USC capture the MPSF Tournament championship to score an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Berkeley. The Trojans carried an 18-6 record and was ranked No. 1 in the nation on the way to their 18th straight NCAA appearance. USC opened the tourney with an 11-8 win over Princeton in the quarterfinals to take a semifinal spot against UCLA. The Trojans topped the Bruins 11-8 in a strong semifinal showing, then turned to take on the tournament host Cal in the title match. In a wild final, the Golden Bears were able to fight out of a hole and claim a 13-12 victory over USC. At the close of the event, USC had Jake Ehrhardt and Massimo Di Martire named to the NCAA All-Tournament First Team, and Ashworth Molthen and Kyle McKenney earning Second Team selections. The tournament marked Marko Pintaric's fourth NCAA run as USC head coach, with three straight visits to an NCAA final, as USC finished out 2022 with a 20-7 overall record.
MPSF CHAMPS
USC put forth a powerful performance at the 2023 MPSF Tournament to secure its 19th consecutive NCAA berth, handing top-seeded UCLA its first loss of the year with a 13-9 win in the semifinals before topping No. 2 seeded host Cal in a nail-biter 13-12 in the championship game. It was the Trojans' second straight MPSF Tournament title and 13th overall, as well as the fifth time USC has won back-to-back crowns. USC had opened the 2023 tourney with a 20-4 win over Augustana to take its place in the semis against rival UCLA. Against the Bruins, USC never trailed, taking control in the second period to turn a one-goal game into a five-goal USC advantage and keep the Bruins at bay the rest of the way. Luka Brnetic led USC with three goals in the crucial win, and Max Miller added two. In a vital title match against host Cal, USC fought through 10 tie scores and three fourth-period lead changes before the Trojans staked their claim on their second straight MPSF crown. A Miller hat trick by halftime had helped USC lead it 6-5 at the break. Another in the third, along with Massimo Di Martire's third of the day, got the Trojans to be all even with the Golden Bears at 8-8 entering the fourth. That eight-minute stretch was wild, but Miller never stopped. He got USC up 10-8 with two incredible goals on USC's first two possessions for the fourth frame. Cal fired back, and would take a 12-11 lead with 2:20 to go. Off a feed from Tom McGuire, Miller unleashed his seventh goal of the day to lock even again, and less than a minute later fellow captain Carson Kranz hit Di Martire for a 6-on-5 sizzler that put USC on top 13-12 with 1:12 on the clock. USC's defense locked in for the duration, with McGuire nabbing a steal and goalie Bernardo Herzer coming up with a clutch takeaway before Cal clanged the bar on its last-gasp attempt to see the Trojans reign supreme as MPSF champions for the 13th time. Miller would be named MVP of the tournament, joined by Di Martire and Kranz on the All-Tournament Team.
BY THE NUMBERS
Max Miller is spearheading USC's scoring charge with 43 goals, just ahead of Massimo Di Martire's 34 to date. Miller also leads the team in having tallied 14 multiple-goal games this year, while he and Di Martire have each scored in a team-best 18 games. On the assists front, three Trojans — Zach Bettino, Carzon Kranz and Tom McGuire — have each dished out 29 assists, while Di Martire tops the steals board with 31. Miller and fellow two-meter man Tony Nardelli have combined for 82 drawn exclusions, with Miller leading the count with 52 through his 21 games of work. On the defensive end, three goalies have seen time in the cage, with redshirt sophomore Bernardo Herzer capping up in 16 games and redshirt sophomore Eric Hubner checking for seven. In their respective USC debuts, Herzer (12 saves vs. Pomona-Pitzer) and freshman Charles Mills (13 saves vs. Biola) set career highs. All told, USC's goalkeeping corps is averaging 9.8 saves per game. As a team, USC has outscored its opponents 270-187 for an average of 12.9 goals per game offensively and 8.9 goals-against per game defensively. The USC defense has held opponents scoreless in 15 periods of regulation play.
SWEEPS WEEK
For the first time this season, USC swept the MPSF weekly awards on Nov. 6, with two first-timers on the honor roll in MPSF Player of the Week Andrej Grgurevic and MPSF Newcomer of the Week Bernardo Herzer. The two Trojans were instrumental in a key conference victory, as No. 4 USC beat No. 3 Stanford 10-6. Grgurevic tied his career high with three goals on four shots in the crucial Trojan win over the Cardinal. Grgurevic scored USC's first two goals of the game, and his third came as USC's final goal of the solid 10-6 win over the Cardinal. Grgurevic's three-goal effort was just his second multiple-goal game this season. He also had a steal in the Trojans' win. This is Grgurevic's first MPSF Player of the Week pick, and he was the second Trojan to earn the honor this season, joining Max Miller. Grgurevic was selected an MPSF Newcomer of the Week last season as a true freshman. Redshirt sophomore goalie Herzer, meanwhile, set a new career high for himself with 14 saves in beating the Cardinal. The MPSF Newcomer of the Week also nabbed two steals in the victory while helping to anchor USC's defense, which shut out the Cardinal for 11 minutes. The 14-save outing marked Herzer's second straight double-digit save effort, and the sixth of his USC career. Stanford's six goals scored marked a season low total for the Cardinal. Herzer was the second Trojan to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Week this season, following true freshman Zach Bettino.
MPSF TO THE MAX
USC capped off a sizable home stretch with a decisive win over visiting No. 10 Pacific, led by senior Max Miller's four-goal outburst. For his efforts, Miller was named MPSF Player of the Week for the first time in his Trojan career with his pick on Oct. 2. Miller scored USC's first three goals of the game in an eventual 16-6 win over the Tigers. The victory avenged last year's road loss at Pacific thanks to a well-rounded USC effort, led by Miller's four goals to go along with a drawn exclusion and steal by the senior. He was 4-of-5 shooting in the USC win. Miller was the first Trojan to win the award since 2021. He was an MPSF Newcomer of the Week selection as a freshman in 2020. Miller currently stands as USC's top scorer with 43 goals entering the postseason.
BETTINO ON THE BOARD
Freshman Zach Bettino captured his first official award as a Trojan in being selected MPSF Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 25 following a clutch performance at the Overnght/MPSF Invitational. Bettino scored the game-winning goal in overtime and finished with a career-high four goals to help USC beat No. 4 Stanford 13-12 in the third-place game on Sunday. Before that game, Bettino's season best had been two-goal outings, making this game a breakout for the freshman, who also had five assists at the tournament. Against the Cardinal, he was 4-of-6 shooting and dealt out an assist and a steal. Bettino was the first Trojan to pick up weekly honors from the conference this season, and was the 12th USC player to earn the award since it began in 2016. He is now sixth on the team in scoring this season with 24 goals.
BACK FOR MORE
USC returns over half of its 2022 NCAA roster, including All-American and MPSF Newcomer of the Year Massimo Di Martire, who led the Trojans in scoring with 63 goals in the 2022 season — seven of those goals scored in the NCAA Tournament. Senior captain Carson Kranz and junior Luka Brnetic also return as All-MPSF honorees, with Kranz and Max Miller tabbed as team captains for 2023. Brnetic and Reed Stemler are seasoned hole guards ready to shut down any moves at two-meters. In front of the cage as well will be senior captain Miller and Tony Nardelli, each bringing valuable experience in their fourth years as centers. Newcomer Connor Cohen and sophomore Zac Crenshaw also add size and power to that spot for the Trojans. Back in the water for his sophomore season, Andrej Grgurevic spent his summer playing with the Australian Junior National Team. Grgurevic scored 21 goals as a true freshman last season.
STRIKE FORCE
With the graduation of some powerful left-handed shooters, sophomore Jack Vort, freshman Zach Bettino and redshirt freshman Charlie Saunders are ready to step up on the 4-6 side, joined by righties Di Martire and Jake Carter, who are proven sharpshooters on that side of the pool. Working on the 1-2 side is a group of guys making an impact with their utility and speed on both sides of the pool in returners Evan Ausmus, Tom McGuire, Joshua Waldoch and Aidan Wattson.
CAGE FIGHTERS
The Trojans' goalie squad is ripe with skill and size, with 6-foot-7 Eric Hubner bringing upperclassman experience and 6-6 Bernardo Herzer coming off a redshirt year. Incoming freshman goalies Charles Mills and Cooper Mathisrud further bolster USC in the cage as the group competes for playing time as the backbone of the Trojan defense.
PINTA'S PROGRAM
Marko Pintaric, who has been part of 14 NCAA championships during his 21 years on the USC coaching staff, is in his fifth year at the helm of the Trojan men's program. Last season, he guided the Trojans to an 18th consecutive NCAA appearance, reaching the NCAA final for the 17th time in that span. An All-American and 1998 NCAA champion as a player at USC, Pintaric served as co-head coach for the USC men for three seasons (2016-18), most recently helping the Trojans to the 2018 NCAA Championship. His USC coaching career began as an assistant coach to both the USC men and women in 2001. Pintaric stayed in a dual coaching role until NCAA rules for coaching staff sizes changed in 2015-16, prompting a move to a scouting director role with the women while his assistant coaching role continued with the men for the next four years.
LAST SEASON
USC's 2022 campaign saw the Trojans win the MPSF Tournament championship in order to clinch an 18th straight trip to the NCAA tourney. USC finished up undefeated at home and posted a 20-7 overall record after a run to the NCAA title match, where USC fell in a one-goal loss to host Cal. At season's end, USC had four players earn ACWPC All-America honors in First Team picks Jake Ehrhardt, Massimo Di Martire and Ashworth Molthen along with second-team selection Kyle McKenney. Ehrhardt also was picked as a finalist for the 2022 Peter J. Cutino Award. •
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