The tenth-ranked Long Beach State men’s water polo team returned to its winning ways at the Gary Troyer Tournament this weekend, as it ran the table in completing a four-game sweep.
The 49ers secured victories over Harvard, Fresno Pacific, La Verne and No. 19 Cal Baptist to push their record to 16-3. LBSU handled its first three opponents with ease, outscoring Harvard (12-10), Fresno Pacific (10-6), and La Verne (2-17) by a combined 41 goals. A late rally preserved the perfect tournament and left the 49ers in good spirits to conclude the tournament schedule. The Beach will spend the remainder of the season trying to earn a berth into the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament by season’s end.
In the first game of the Gary Troyer Tournament, the 49ers defeated Harvard, 12-5. It was a close contest through the first half, as the Crimson tied the game at 5 on the first possession of the third quarter, but the 49ers dismissed any possibility of an upset with seven unanswered goals the rest of the way. Nick Rascon and Spencer White led the 49ers with three goals apiece in the contest.
The Fresno Pacific match carried the same tune, as the 49ers went on an 11-0 run en route to a 23-4 drubbing of the Sunbirds. Dan Matulis, Devin Mefford, and Nathan McConnell all tallied hat tricks in the win.
LBSU’s explosive offense continued to score at will against La Verne. Thirteen ‘Niners got on the score sheet in an 18-3 49er victory that was lopsided enough for backup goaltenders Sinan Karatay and Robert Poynton to get some rare playing time.
Cal Baptist gave the 49ers a scare, but White and Rascon came to the rescue as LBSU escaped with a one-goal victory. The 49ers came out on top, 9-8, despite trailing by one with less than two minutes left to play. White tied the game with 1:19 remaining, and one defensive stop later, the 49ers were in position to squeak out a late game comeback. Rascon emerged as the hero, as his goal with ten seconds remaining sealed a dramatic victory for The Beach.
The undefeated performance came on the heels of a disappointing So Cal Tournament. LBSU lost its tournament opener to Pacific, 11-10, and ended the tournament with a loss to Loyola Marymount, 13-10. The 49ers have split meetings with the Lions this season, but the most recent result costs The Beach a spot in the national rankings, as LMU jumped over the ‘Niners into the ninth spot.
In their next game, LBSU will look to extend its four-game winning streak when the team travels to UC San Diego to take on the Tritons. The game is certain to have national ranking implications as the Tritons (7-5) come into the contest ranked just outside the top-10. The game takes place on Friday at 6 p.m.