Commentary, Men's Sports, Men's Water Polo, Sports

PIRDY: 49ers in position for big 2014 season

They say that good things come to those who wait. Well, after patiently watching the Long Beach State men’s water polo team make a slow rise in the rankings over the past six years, 49er fans can rest easy knowing that the program’s best days are just beyond the horizon.

Coming off of a surprise fifth-place finish in 2012, the 49ers began the 2013 season with ambitions of repeating their strong finish from a year before.

However, with senior Dan Matulis redshirting because of the ailing effects of post-shoulder surgery and senior Nick Rascon red shirting as well, the ‘Niners were left with two key players absent from their roster.

LBSU (19-11, 1-6 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) has maintained solid play throughout this season, but with only one regular season game remaining against top-ranked Pacific, the 49ers have yet to add a second win to their conference record.

The bad news for the ‘Niners is that their level of play hasn’t reached the high level necessary to knock off a top-five team.

Whether their opponent be Pacific, Southern California, UCLA, Stanford or California, the ‘Niners have struggled to keep pace with the fast, counter-attack offenses that the top teams are capable of.

The 49ers’ current depth chart cannot adequately replace a tired Devin Mefford or an injured Nolan McConnell at the moment, giving head coach Gavin Arroyo no other option but to limit the majority of his squad’s rest time.

The good news, though, is that the good news far outweighs the bad news. Just the simple addition of Rascon and Matulis back into next year’s lineup will create two new threats that LBSU will have in its arsenal. Rascon and Matulis will ultimately look to pick up where they left off in 2012, but regardless of where they fall into place, their sheer presence will bode well for the ‘Niners.

LBSU will sorely miss the strong presence that senior Carter Taylor brings to the pool, but the reality is that the ‘Niners should feel lucky that they’re losing only Taylor.
For the ‘Niners, their future success will be anchored in their youth.

Sophomores like McConnell, Zacchary Kappos, Ricardo Guimares, Dimitrios Lappas and Conner Reilly are key components of LBSU water polo and have received valuable experience in handling adversity this year. Kappos has an arm that rivals any of the best shooters in the nation. Lappas and Guimares bring high water polo IQ to the team, and

Reilly’s strength combined with lefthander McConnell’s consistency will make LBSU a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, who could forget sophomore goalkeeper Pavo Ljepopio? Ljepopio is the glue that holds the ‘Niners together. His average of nine saves per game doesn’t even begin to speak to the quality of play he consistently brings to the pool. His maturity for a sophomore and ability to fire his teammates up is invaluable.

Then, there’s the seniors-to-be in Mefford and Milos Vrzic, who will add experience and leadership to the squad. Vrzic will remain a threat in LBSU’s perimeter shooting game, and Mefford’s knack for being able to create something out of nothing will come in handy when all else fails.

Finally, there’s the master in command himself: Arroyo. Arroyo is a two-time coach of the year with an acute awareness of what it takes to succeed in NCAA Division I water polo. Arroyo’s will to reshape LBSU into a top-ranked water polo program is evident.

The 49ers’ best finish in Division I water polo came in 2001 under the coaching of Rick Azevedo, when LBSU finished fourth. Arroyo will undoubtedly be looking to top that result in his tenure, and that result may come sooner than expected.

Top-ranked programs like USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford will always remain in the elite category. But just as a team like Pacific, who has climbed to the current No.1 spot in the nation after being regarded as a lackluster program in the past, has fought to the top, so too will LBSU. Entrance into the top five will only help attract top recruits to LBSU and breed championship-worthy teams for years to come.

The final stages of the 2013 NCAA water polo season are all but set, and a fifth place finish, while completely possible, seems unlikely for LBSU. The 49ers, however, will be regarded as a top-three team in the nation in 2014. They’ll be a team that will not just be looking to win but one that will succeed in achieving a result that’s never been obtained before in the program’s history.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Daily 49er newsletter

Instagram