September 4, 2001
Season Begins: The 2001 season getws underwaay on Saturday as the 49ers travel to Los Angeles to take on USC. The match will count in the MPSF standings. The Trojans were 23-5 overall and 7-1 in the MPSF last season, while the 49ers were 15-13 overall and 4-4 in league play. USC went on to finish third in the nation.
The Coach: Rick Azevedo enters his third season as the head man for the 49er men’s water polo squad. Azevedo is 28-27 (.509) in his two years at LBSU.
Series Record: The 49ers trail in their series with USC by a 42-22 count. Last season at the 49er Campus Pool (10/15), The Beach snapped a 19-match losing skid to the Trojans with an 11-9 victory. The loss was the only one in MPSF play for USC, as they tied for first in league play with UC Irvine (7-1). Good Scrimmage: 49er head coach Rick Azevedo was very pleased with the scrimmages this past weekend vs. USC and UC Irvine. “I thought that Chris Segesman, Aaron Holloway and Nathan Allard all played well this weekend. We ran the system the way it was supposed to be run and executed our offense. Overall, I thought we played pretty well.”
Busy Summer: Several 49ers had busy summers in the pool. Senior Chris Segesman (Goleta, CA) and junior Aaron Holloway (El Segundo, CA) were both members of the U.S. National Team. Segesman was on the travel roster and participated in the World Championships in Japan. Meanwhile, junior Kellyn Carlson (Tacoma, WA) and sophomores Nathan Allard (La Habra, CA) and Pat Logan (Santa Ana, CA) were members of the U.S. Junior National Team.
Strong Returning Offense: The 49ers return all seven starters from last years club, including 2000 first team All-American, Chris Segesman. The 49ers return 80.7 percent of its scoring punch from last season when The Beach tallied 233 goals (8.32 gpg), the most goals scored by a 49er squad since 1989. The top six scorers return, making the 49er offense one of the tops in the country. Senior Justin Jewell (Ojai, CA) returns after scoring 38 goals last year while fellow senior Scott Miller (Long Beach, CA) tallied 33 in his first year as a 49er.
Segesman Ready For Senior Campaign: Senior 2-meter man Chris Segesman (Goleta, CA) is ready to conclude his 49er career in fine fashion. After leading the 49ers in scoring last season with 50 goals, Segesman earned first team All-MPSF and first team All-America honors. With 128 career goals, Segesman ranks tied for 8th on the 49er career scoring chart with 2000 Olympian Chi Kredell. Segesman spent the summer with the U.S. National Team. He competed at the World Championships in Japan and also played in tournaments in Italy, Greece and the Dominican Republic.
Last Year Vs. USC: The 49ers and the Trojans met three times last season, with USC winning twice. On September 9 the Trojans won a non-league contest 7-6 to open the season. On October 15 The Beach came away with an 11-9 MPSF triumph at the 49er Campus Pool. The final meeting came on October 21 at the Northern California Tournament and USC prevailed 9-5. In the 49er win on October 15, Justin Jewell and Chris Segesman scored three goals apiece to lead the 49ers. The victory broke a 19-game losing streak to the Trojans, dating back to the 1992 campaign. |
