After a two-recreation slide To finish the common season, the Bruins Might have The prospect To choose up A pair wins earlier than the NCAA tournamalest.
No. 3 seed UCLA males’s water polo (16-3, 1-2 MPSF) will compete Inside the Mountain Pacific Sports activities Federation tournamalest Friday by way of Sunday On the Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford. The blue and gold enter the tournamalest on the heels of again-to-again losses, dropping them to the third seed behind No. 1 seed California (20-2, 3-0) and No. 2 seed USC (16-1, 2-1).
“On A daily basis Presently of the yr, our focus is on ourselves,” said coach Adam Wright. “Final week was disappointing on some ranges, However in addition we’ve been Dealing with Barely Little bit of adversity. … We’ve been Inside these positions earlier than, and All of us know what we’re up in the direction of.”
The Bruins have gone a mixed 0-3 in the direction of the Golden Bears and the Trojans this season, with a rematch in the direction of A minimal of A Sort of opponents probably Inside the playing cards Inside the MPSF tournamalest.
Before A potential matchup in the direction of Cal or USC, UCLA will face the loser of a recreation between Austin School and Penn State Behrfinish on Friday Inside the quarterfinals.
“Our focus Is primarily on ourselves,” Wright said. “It’s good that We now have a recreation (Friday). That provides us one other alternative To actually get nearer to the place We Really want to be.”
Whereas no matchup after The primary recreation is assured, the Bruins might probably see a rematch with their crosstown rival Inside their second recreation. USC earned a bye Inside the tournamalest after qualifying As a Outcome of the No. 2 seed.
Graduate scholar assaulter Chasen Travisano said UCLA – which misplaced to USC 8-7 on Nov. 6 –Ought to enhance its power play and transition offense to earn a win this time round.
“Defensively, We truly did An excellent job,” Travisano said. “Offensively, I really feel our transition undoubtedly might have been Tons greater, and our six-on-5 as properly. These are essential parts of The sport. We’re actually going to have To place those down So as To vary The Outcome versus last time.”
Of their previous two video recreations, the Bruins have gone a mixed 3-of-18 on power performs. Their opponents, however, have shot a mixed 7-for-17 on six-on-5 alternatives in those video recreations.
Redshirt sophomore assaulter Jack Larsen …….