All coaches will say that one of their main goals is to compete in every game, and Gavin Arroyo is no different.
Arroyo delivers this message to his team day-in and day-out as he prepares them for the improbable. Seven years into his run as head coach of the Long Beach State men’s water polo team, Arroyo finally saw the 49ers through to a landmark win as his team knocked off No. 5 California 11-10 Saturday afternoon at the Spieker Aquatics Complex.
The upset victory marks the first time since 2001 that the 49ers (19-5, 1-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) have defeated Cal (10-7, 1-3 MSPF). Arroyo’s first career win over the Golden Bears was only the seventh of all-time for The Beach.
The victory also launched the ‘Niners from ninth to fifth in the MSPF standings, as they leapfrogged UC Irvine, Pacific, Pepperdine and Cal.
For the last several years, The Beach has stood relevant in MPSF Tournament discussion but never qualified for the postseason. The 49ers had their hearts broken last year, as they lost to Pepperdine in double overtime and to UCI by a single goal on the road. Such disappointments ultimately pushed the ‘Niners to the brink and out of the playoff picture. Past seasons had the coaching staff and players alike striving for a very similar goal: get to the MPSF Tournament.
Fast-forward to the present year, and the tune has changed for the 49ers. The goal, ever critical to a team’s motivation, is no longer focused on merely postseason qualification. This team wants to know how far it will go. This team wants a championship.
Milos Vrzic said he believes that his team is primed to make a run in conference play.
“One game can change everything,” Vrzic said. “We’re hungry. We want to keep winning to improve our positioning for the tournament.”
The 49ers stunned Cal and nearly took down No. 3 Stanford (12-4, 4-2) on Sunday. Despite leading the Cardinal 5-4 at the half, they ultimately dropped the contest, 12-11, at the Avery Aquatic Center. Prior to the northern California road trip, LBSU had played just one conference game: a 13-7 loss to No. 1 Southern California (20-0, 5-0). Sixth-ranked Pepperdine (11-7, 3-2) and No. 7 Pacific (9-7, 0-2) were the other MPSF teams to match up with the ‘Niners during the tournament schedule, and each emerged victorious.
As a result of LBSU’s win over Cal, the conference has been put on high alert. The Beach will have an opportunity to prove its mettle this weekend when it faces No. 2 UCLA on the road and Pacific at home.
The 49ers’ ascent to the MSPF top five can be credited to Arroyo’s leadership and recruiting. The seventh-year head coach brought in his best recruiting class to date for 2012, and its impact was immediate.
Sophomore junior college transfer Balint Meszaros has become the starting goalkeeper. Spencer White left Cal for LBSU for the MBA program and has accumulated 49 goals in 24 games this season. Nolan McConnell joined his brother Nathan at The Beach in what was arguably Arroyo’s best catch of the offseason. The freshman attacker has broken out with 11 goals in his last five games after yielding scoring opportunities to the more senior members of the team earlier in the year. Zacchary Kappos, another freshman, has scored 22 goals in 23 games coming off the bench.
Team chemistry is instrumental to any team’s success, and this year’s squad is closer than ever. Multiple players have pointed to this, calling the team a brotherhood of sorts.
“I feel that the chemistry within this team is very special,” third-year starter Nick Rascon said. “We play for each other, and that is a huge part of our success.”
The 49ers will look to ride their momentum into a pair of MPSF matchups with major playoff implications this weekend. The Beach will visit UCLA on Saturday before returning home on Sunday for an important battle with Pacific. Both games will start at noon.