by Meridith Zembal
Staff Writer
Head coach Tim Hugar said that he feels that the freshman of the men’s water polo team will have a positive impact for the 2001 season and the experienced upper classmen will lead the way.
Coming back from winning the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title and fulfilling a successful 20-7 overall record, water polo had a fresh start for their season opener at Canyonville pool, UC San Diego. Last weekend’s tournament consisted of four games for the Leopards, two of which were against competitive division I teams.
The weekend began with two tough matches on Saturday against Brigham Young University, Hawaii and Air Force. Both teams, of course, have been practicing for about a month, giving them an automatic advantage over La Verne. At the end of day one the Leopards were defeated with final scores of 6-12 and 6-14.
Exhausted after day one, La Verne fought back for two more games on Sunday. The morning began with a close game versus Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Within the first two minutes of the game, Claremont came out with a bang, jumping to a quick 2-0 lead. La Verne retaliated but lost 7-8 to the Stags.
The Leopards battled and defeated the Whittier Poets in their final game for the weekend. Moving with a solid pace, the Poets were completely dominated by La Verne. Fast breaks were of the key in an 11-5 victory, making their season’s current record 1-3.
Freshmen players Owen Barrett and Brent Rothweiler were key, scoring seven of La Verne’s total points.
“The young guys did a good job at a higher level of play,” Hugar said. “The older guys stepped up when they needed to, and it’s tough in four straight games.”
Hugar is optimistic, though, about the upcoming matches against SCIAC teams.
“We’re right in the hunt for SCIAC,” said Hugar.
The season continues this Saturday and Sunday at the Inland Empire Tournament in Redlands.
