BOX SCORE
LOS ANGELES – In a thrilling, overtime contest between two of the nation's top-15 teams, #13 LMU men's water polo (13-11, 5-2 WWPA) came up just short from completing the upset against #8 Long Beach State (15-12, 1-3 GCC) in the final game of the regular season. A total of 41 goals were scored in the game, with The Beach pulling out the 21-20 victory after two overtime sessions.
Joseph Shaw opened the scoring with the game's opening goal. After two straight goals were scored by LBSU,
Blazo Mitrovic tied the game at 2-2 with 3:47 on the clock. The Beach scored the next two, but the Lions closed out the quarter with three unanswered. With 1:34 remaining, David Carrsasco scored two and
Joseph Cavazos added one to give LMU the 5-4 lead at the end of the period.
After LBSU opened the quarter by tying the game, Mitrovic scored two consecutive goals to give LMU the lead that would stand for the remainder of the half. The Beach cut it to a one-goal deficit on two occasions, but
Jonny Rimlinger and Cavazos pushed it back to two goals each time. With 45 seconds left, Rimlinger scored again to give the Lions a t 10-7 lead at intermission.
The Lions build up a game-high five goal lead after Carrasco and Mitrovic opened the second half with goals. After LBSU scored two-straght, Mitrovic added another one of his game-high eight goals to make it a 13-9 game with 4:49 on the clock. The visitors would close out the third quarter with five of the final six goals, with only Mitrovic scoring for LMU, to send the teams to the fourth quarter tied at 14-all.
LMU pushed ahead by two goals in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, with Shaw scoring fifteen seconds in and Mitrvoic added one 33 seconds later. Rimlinger extended the lead to 17-14 with just over six minutes to play before LBSU closed out regulation with four of the final five goals.
Daniel Roth made it a 18-16 game, with 1:59 on the clock, but The Beach tied it with the equalizer coming with one second remaining.
Blazo Mitrovic scored his eighth goal of the day to open the first overtime period, but LBSU equalized with 25 seconds remaining. In the final session, The Beach pushed ahead by two before
Alexandros Athymaritis cut the deficit to 21-20 with 1:06 to play. The Lions were unable to score a late equalizer, pushing the game final.
LMU now shifts all focus to the WWPA Championships which run next Friday through Sunday in Riverside, Calif. From Lancer Aquatics Center.
