Dec. 4, 2010

BERKELEY, Calif. - The eighth-ranked LMU men's water polo program made their eighth trip to the National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship on Saturday, facing the host school for the fifth time in those eight trips. And themes continued as the Lions suffered yet another one-goal heartbreaker, this one 7-6 to second-ranked Cal at Spieker Aquatics Center.

The Lions (19-9) led 6-4 after senior Ikaika Aki scored with just 1:21 left in the third quarter. With LMU goalie Andy Stevens making eight first half saves, the Lions were in position to pull off a major upset.

"Of course I was concerned," said Cal standout Ivan Rackov, who scored two goals but also had a penalty shot stopped by Stevens in the first half for the heavy favorite Bears. "Everything goes through your head."

Stevens thought he detected concern from the Cal players.

"They looked nervous; you could see it in their eyes," Stevens said.

Stevens is animated and talkative during a game, and he let Cal know about it each time he made one of his 12 saves.

But the Cal defense did not allow the Lions another goal the rest of the game. And when Cal freshman Max Bergeson scored a goal with six seconds left in the third, the Bears' deficit was just one goal heading into the final quarter.

Cory Nasoff scored the tying goal with 3:50 remaining in the game and Zach White, who had not played for much of the fourth quarter, scored from close range on a shot that eluded Stevens with 2:41 to go.

"It was a real trash goal," Stevens said. "They got lucky."

White disagreed.

"A goal's a goal," he said. "If it's a trash goal, he should have blocked it. But he's a really good goalie."

Loyola Marymount had a chance to tie the game when Aki got free from within two meters, but Cal goalie Justin Parsons made the stop from point-blank range.

"I think we got a little tired," said Head Coach John Loughran. "We don't have as much depth, and I didn't substitute as much. Ikaika made a great move, but I think he was tired. And playing at Cal was an advantage for them. I think if played at a neutral site it might be a different game."

It is the third straight one-goal setback in the national semifinals, and fourth in the last five trips for the Lions, falling by a goal in overtime to UCLA (9-8) a year ago, to host Stanford (6-5) in 2008 and to Stanford (7-6) in 2006.

The Lions had put pressure on Cal from the start, jumping out to a 3-1 lead, weathering a four-goal burst by Cal and then scoring the first three goals of the second half to take that 6-4 lead. Cal was able to make the plays when they were needed most, however.

The Lions will face St. Francis (NY) in the consolation finals at 1 p.m., on Sunday.

Running Score
FIRST QUARTER:
3:28 1st Ivan Rackov Cal
3:03 1st Albert Samuels LMU
SECOND QUARTER:
7:21 2nd Brian Flacks LMU
4:09 2nd Edgaras Asajavicius LMU
2:45 2nd Max Bergeson Cal
1:52 2nd Ivan Rackov Cal
:58 2nd Brian Dudley Cal
THIRD QUARTER:
6:08 3rd Albert Samuels LMU
5:08 3rd Ikaika Aki LMU
1:21 3rd Ikaika Aki LMU
:06 3rd Max Bergeson Cal
FOURTH QUARTER:
3:50 4th Cory Nasoff Cal
2:41 4th Zach White Cal

Box Score
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT --1-2-3-0--6
CALIFORNIA --1-3-1-2--7
Loyola Marymount Goal Scorers - Albert Samuels 2, Ikaika Aki 2, Brian Flacks, Edgaras Asajavicius
Cal Goal Scorers - Ivan Rackov 2, Max Bergeson 2, Brian Dudley, Cory Nasoff, Zach White
Goalie Saves: Andy Stevens, Loyola Marymount 12 (3,5,2,2); Justin Parsons, Cal 11 (2,4,2,3)