No. 6 Waves Set to Travel to NorCal Tournament
9/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 14, 2011
MALIBU, Calif. -- The No. 6 Waves take on No. 11 UC Davis at 9:20 a.m. on Saturday in the first game of the NorCal Tournament, hosted by the University of the Pacific.
THIS WEEK -- This week's NorCal Tournament gives the Waves their first look at top competition, including MPSF foes they will meet later in the season. If the team wins the game against UC Davis, the Waves will most likely face No. 2-ranked California on Saturday afternoon.
Pool A -- No. 1 USC, No. 6 UC Irvine, No. 9 Long Beach State, West Valley JC
Pool B -- No. 2 California, No. 6 Pepperdine, No. 11 UC Davis, Vanguard
Pool C -- No. 3 UCLA, No. 8 UCSB, No. 13 Concordia, No. 20 Air Force
Pool D -- No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Pacific, No. 16 Santa Clara, No. 19 St. Francis (N.Y.)
NORCAL TOURNAMENT -- For the full tournament website, click HERE
LAST WEEK -- Last week the Waves took home the first Wells Fargo PCH Cup points of the season as they beat crosstown rival Loyola Marymount, 11-7 on the road. The team saw eight different goal scorers in the game, with James Perry, Spencer Hamby and Stephen Loomisall collecting two goals.
IN THE RANKINGS -- The Waves started the season ranked No. 10 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's national rankings and are steadily climbing the charts. After last week's victory over LMU, the Waves jumped a spot and are now tied for sixth with UC Irvine.
SCORING -- Through three games this season, 15 different players have found the back of the net for the Waves. Junior Stephen Loomis leads the way with seven goals overall. Last season's leading goal scorer, Danny White, has tallied three scores so far on the season.
BETWEEN THE PIPES -- A 2010 All-MPSF honorable mention selection, sophomore goalkeeper Bence Valics has made 17 saves in two starts this season. Matthew Carter earned the start against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, where he made six saves in the victory.
UC Davis -- The Waves hold a 21-1 record all-time against the Aggies and at neutral sites they are 17-1. Last year the teams matched up and the Waves defeated them 7-5 in overtime. The team is 5-2 heading into this weekend's matchup. Senior center Aaron Salit netted 24 goals in a five-game tournament last weekend.
CALIFORNIA --The Bears hold the series lead over the Waves, 47-14-1. The last time the Waves defeated the Bears was in 2008, as they won 7-5. Last season they met three times, with Cal winning all three. The Bears are currently ranked third in the nation with a 2-0 record. Ivan Rackov scored 12 goals in two victories for the Bears.
VANGUARD - One of two NAIA teams in the NorCal field, it picked up its first win at the Inland Empire tourney in a 15-5 defeat of La Verne. The team is 1-6 on the season.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE -- Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports - one of just 16 schools to have accomplished this feat - and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest enrollment and is the only school not in a major conference. Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #55 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges. The 2011-12 school year marks Pepperdine's 75th anniversary.
