LA JOLLA, Calif. — The University of La Verne men's water polo team opened the 2014 season with four games against four top-10 NCAA Division I teams at the Triton Invitational hosted by UC San Diego.
Game 1: No. 2 USC 24, La Verne 5 (Sept. 6)
Six-time defending national champion USC, who has two members of the U.S. Men's Senior National Team on its roster, blitzed La Verne with four goals in the first three minutes and never looked back.
Matthew Vega opened La Verne's 2014 scoring at the 4:37 mark in the second quarter and put another one in just 45 seconds to later. Bryan Jimenez notched his first goal with about 90 seconds left in the quarter to make it three straight goals for the Leopards and bring the score to 9-3, but the Trojans scored two late goals to pull away.
Jared Hopley and Jimenz each added a goal in the final quarter.
Daniel Newell made 14 saves in net.
Game 2: No. 6 Long Beach Sate 22, La Verne 7 (Sept. 6)
The Leopards hung tough in the first quarter against Long Beach State, but lost momentum in the second quarter and lost, 22-7.
After allowing three quick goals in the first quarter, the Leopards responded with a goal apiece from Jared Hopley and Josh Vega to cut the deficit to 3-2.
La Verne looked to stay within striking range as Hopley netted his second score of the game one to open the second quarter and keep the score within one. However, the 49ers then reeled off seven consecutive goals to put the game away.
Jonathon Jarvis got on the board with a pair of goals in the third quarter and Viken Huening also scored his first of the season in the frame.
Starting goalie Newell made 10 saves and Christian Ortiz had eight.
Game 3: No. 4 Cal 25, La Verne 3 (Sept. 7)
La Verne did not get on the board until midway through the second quarter and lost, 25-3.
Huening stopped an 11-0 game opening run by the Golden Bears with a goal in the second quarter but the game was already out of reach.
Makai DeNeve-Arnam netted the first goal of his collegiate career late in the second quarter and Sean Ketner notched in the third quarter.
Game 4: No. 8 UC Irvine 25, La Verne 8 (Sept. 7)
UC Irvine started the game on a 7-0 run and the Leopards could not recover.
Nick Estevez opened La Verne's scoring at the 2:49 mark in the first quarter and Josh Vega added one late in the frame to make it 10-3 heading into the second quarter.
The Leopards held the Anteaters to two goals in the second quarter while Jimenez added one, but UC Irvine registered 13 second-half goals to pull away.
Jimenez and Josh Vega contributed one goal each in the third quarter while Andrew Phillips and DeNeve-Arnam got on the board in the fourth.
La Verne returns to the pool this weekend as it hosts the Inland Empire Classic at Las Flores Park but the schedule does not get any easier. In addition to taking on Division I No. 3 UCLA, the Leopards will face conference rivals Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier.
GAME ONE
#2 USC 24, La Verne 5
Sept. 6, 2014 • La Jolla, Calif.
USC 8 - 3 - 7 - 6 = 24
LV 0 - 3 - 0 - 2 = 5
SCORING:
USC -- Kostas Genidounias 5, Grant Stein 3, Rex Butler 2, Mihajlo Milicevic 2, Mac Carden 2, Lachlan Edwards 2, Matteo Morelli 2, Charlie McBee 2, James Walters, Marc Vonderweidt, Andrew Silvers, Joe Nelson.
LV -- Bryan Jimenez 2, Matthew Vega 2, Jared Hopley.
SAVES: Ben Goncharenko (USC) 6, Newell (LV) 14.
GAME TWO
#6 Long Beach State 22, La Verne 7
Sept. 6, 2014 • La Jolla, Calif.
LV 2 - 2 - 3 - 0 = 7
LBST 4 - 8 - 6 - 4 = 22
Scoring:
LV -- Hopley 2, Jarvis 2, Vega 2, Huening
LBSU -- Kappos 4, Lappas 3, McConnell 3, Chasse 2, Matulis 2, Rascon 2, Fabian, Ferreira, Mefford, Reilly, Tice, Vrzic
SAVES:
LV -- Newell 10, Ortiz 6
LBSU -- Schultz 5
GAME THREE
#4 Cal 22, La Verne 7
Sept. 7, 2014 • La Jolla, Calif.
CAL 8 - 5 - 8 - 4 = 25
LV 0 - 2 - 1 - 0 = 3
Scoring:
CAL -- Stellet 5, Oates 4, Carniglia 4, Ratchford 3, Jarrels-Stickney 2, Neumann 2, South, Saponjic, Ivanovic, Russell, Agramonte
LV -- Huening, DeNeve-Arnam, Ketner
SAVES:
CAL -- Le Vine 6
GAME FOUR
#8 UCI 25, La Verne 8
Sept. 7, 2014 • La Jolla, Calif.
UCI 10 - 2 - 6 - 7 = 25
LV 3 - 1 - 2 - 2 = 8
Scoring:
UCI -- Lovre Milos 7, Kyle Trush 4, Alan Robertson 3, Larson Pfeil 2, Ty Hack 2, Kyle Kittlitz, Jacob Mourer, Chris Swieca, Pablo Carballo, Bobby McDonald, Andrew Fisher, Matt Skinner
LV -- Josh Vega 2, Jimenez 2, Bowers, Estevez, Phillips, Makai DeNeve-Arnam
SAVES:
UCI -- Dylan Peterson 1, Byron Rivers 5, Michael Bailey 4, Matt Bridges 3
