Long Beach State University Athletics
Mens Water Polo Opens Season in UCSD Triton Invitational
9/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 3, 2008
The 49er men's water polo team opens their season this weekend at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational in La Jolla. Long Beach will face both conference and non-conference foes, some of whom appear in the pre-season top-10 national poll.
The UC San Diego Triton Invitational kicks off for Long Beach this Saturday, September 6 when the 49ers face Redlands at 10:30 a.m. and host UCSD at 4:30 p.m. Play continues on Sunday, September 7 to placing for the 14 teams.
When the Niners, picked to finish seventh in the MPSF conference, arrive in La Jolla, their squad might look a little different than last year. With the loss of five seniors but the addition of nine freshmen, The Beach looks to build on the momentum they acquired at the end of their 2007 campaign. Last November the Niners turned heads at the MPSF Tournament, forcing a powerful UCLA team into overtime.
Third-year head coach Gavin Arroyo says of his squad, "People have always underestimated us. We have proven them wrong to a certain degree; We came really close last year to proving them really wrong. We are trying to build off of what we have been doing for the past two years. If we can do that we'll have a successful season."
Long Beach State returns 11 letter winners, including leading goal scorer junior Jeff Greenwood. Greenwood scored 49 goals last season, followed closely by returning senior Jake Kinne's 39. Kinne was named an honorable mention All-MPSF, and was also an All-America selection.
Goalie Steve MacKenzie, a third team All-MPSF player, left big shoes this season, but Arroyo thinks that junior Derek Wiebe-Bailey is up to the task. "He played in the UC Davis game last year and blocked a couple of penalty shots. He has also played in a lot of club games this summer, including a tournament that he played really well in. He's ready to go."
For four 49ers, this weekend's tournament in La Jolla will be their first taste of collegiate water polo-- Pavle Filiopovic, Jordan Koeppen, Shane Luth and Taylor Clute.
"I'm really excited about our freshman class because they're hard workers. They are all about getting better. Pavle, Jordan, Shane and Taylor are really solid. They are all going to be seeing a lot of time this year," said Arroyo.
In La Jolla, the Niners will have the opportunity to play non-conference teams, an experience Arroyo hopes will serve the team well. The 49er head coach also looks to the UCSD Triton Invitational as a chance to give every member of his squad valuable playing time and experience before they face No. 1-ranked USC on September 13.
