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Triton Water Polo Team Goes After Brass Ring
By Ioana Patringenaru November 21, 2005
They put in thousands of hours training at Canyonview Pool. Six of the team's senior players even decided to sit out last year's season, just for the chance to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
But this weekend, UCSD's water polo players fell short of their goal to capture a spot in the NCAA finals. Saturday, they lost by one goal to Los Angeles' Loyola Marymount University, which hosted the championship tournament for the Western Water Polo Association.
"Our biggest fear has come to fruition," said Denny Harper, the Tritons' coach.
UCSD ranks seventh in its sport, while Loyola Marymount ranks 10th. "I know in their minds they pulled off somewhat of a miracle," Harper said of Loyola Marymount. But it wasn't a miracle. All teams in the tournament are fairly even, he explained. On the last day, all games were decided by just one goal.
UCSD has been the top dog in the conference for years, winning 13 titles, but it's never been easy, Harper said. Over time, more and more programs have been gearing up. Loyola Marymount ratcheted up its program with scholarships and a bigger, better, pool.
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Senior Jonathan Hopkins |
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Still, this season, the Tritons set a new record for the most wins. Senior Jonathan Hopkins was named Player of the Year for the Western Water Polo Association.
UCSD has proven itself to be the best Division II men's water polo team, said Adam Krikorian, who coaches UCLA, a Division I, top-ranked water polo team.
"They can beat anyone on any given day," he said. "They've shown flashes of brilliance and at other times, flashes of vulnerability."
Krikorian credited Harper for putting together a strong program. Academics help UCSD make up for its lack of financial incentives, he said. "First and foremost you can get a great education out there," he said.
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Senior Clark Petersen |
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Harper, who has coached UCSD's squad for 25 years, said he can't think of any other sport where a team with small resources can compete and do well against wealthier rivals. In addition to its 13 regional titles, UCSD was the first Division II team to reach the championship game in the NCAA, in 2000. UCSD's coach said his players set a standard for the program 25 years ago. They felt they could play against anybody. That first year was a little rough, he admits, but soon, UCSD became a top 10 team. "It absolutely set the tone," Harper said. "Our program has been about overachieving."
This year, the Tritons took a few extra steps to become more experienced and more competitive. Six seniors had agreed to sit out last fall's season to be able to compete this year. Having a player sit out for a season isn't unusual, UCLA's Krikorian said -- having six experienced players out may be, especially if they're not injured. It was no accident, Harper said. All of them had contributed to the water polo program since their freshman year, a rare feat. Harper added that within minutes of the loss, several players told him they didn't regret the sacrifices they made.
"They're not going to let one loss wreck a fantastic season," he said.
Kevin Smoker said he jumped at the chance to have one more year with his teammates. "More than anything, I wasn't ready to be done with it," he said.
Clark Petersen said he saw an opportunity to delay decisions about what he called a "real life." The political science major plans to graduate in December, and then do some traveling before entering law school. It was difficult to work hard last year and not be able to compete, he said. But this year's season showed it was worth it.
"I have 25 best friends and brothers," he said.
Smoker and Petersen said UCSD's team spirit is one of its key strengths.
Smoker said he watched many of his friends join Division I teams. They faced a lot of infighting, as players jockeyed for money and playing time. Then he went to see UCSD play an NCAA game and had dinner with the team. Everyone was joking around and getting along, he remembers. Smoker, now a senior, decided to go to UCSD.
"They're truly my family," Smoker said. "I live with them, go to class with them. I'm going to miss them so much."
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