The men's Water Polo team finally began its season last Wednesday against Occidental. The Sagehens had already played 13 games, and held an overall record of 3-10. Despite their losing preseason, the men foster ambitious designs for the SCIAC conference. Indeed, the Sagehens repeatedly evince their uncanny faculty for playing alongside national powerhouses such as Air Force and La Verne.

Fall break saw the men at home hosting the Convergence tournament, the climax of which came with their overtime win against Boston College. Pomona-Pitzer was down by one goal with ten seconds left to play, when Chris DeMento '02 drew the offensive foul to steal the ball. DeMento quickly passed the ball down to Dusty Baker '01 who shot it across to Ben Speicher '03, who in turn worked it to Ryan Williams '01. Williams wrapped the ball around the keeper into the net with three seconds left to play. The ball had crossed the pool in a matter of seconds. Overtime belonged entirely to the Sagehens, who ended up stealing the game with a 9-8 score. However, the game against Boston College proved the exception rather than the rule, and the men ended up with a record of 1-2 in the tournament. They gave up unfortunate losses to both Santa Clara and Iona colleges.

The disappointing results of the Convergence tournament left the Sagehens eager to prove themselves in SCIAC, and in last Wednesday's game against Occidental the Sagehens began to assert their compelling authority in the pool.

The game began auspiciously when Luke Johnson '02 scored in the first twenty-five seconds of the game. Five minutes later Occidental scored, to which Williams retorted with his own goal on an assist from DeMento. Though the Sagehens fostered a one-goal lead over Occidental, the game was not where it should have been at the end of the first quarter. The Sagehens had out shot the Tigers nine to two, and their pressure defense had viciously oppressed Occidental, forcing Oxy into two shot clock violations.

The Tigers emerged in the second quarter more focused and better adapted to the Sagehen defense. But the Hens started the scoring about half way through the quarter, when Speicher, with his characteristic rocket shot, launched the ball past the Occidental defense and keeper into the goal. Speicher also played excellent defense in the hole, containing Occidental's threats. Unfortunately, the Tigers still managed to sneak by a goal with just a few minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Water polo is a violent sport, but its brutal aspects are usually quietly kept secret beneath the distorting water. However, sometimes its bloodier aspects surface, as when Occidental's keeper punched Williams in the head halfway through the third quarter, earning him an ejection. The ejection precipitated a frenzy of Sagehen goals from Speicher, Baker, and Williams, consolidating the Sagehen lead. David Ratner '01, the Sagehen goalie, also proved invaluable to the team, making countless daring saves, and allowing only one goal.

The fourth quarter saw both sides playing an even game. The Sagehens scored three times. Mark Cavagnolo '01, who executed a perfect cross to Dusty Baker, initiated the first goal. Baker snapped the ball into the cage faster than the goalie could reposition himself. Speicher and Williams also both scored, each completing their hat trick. Occidental also scored three times, once on a free shot, due to a penalty drawn within two meters of the goal.

The Sagehens had played faster stronger water polo than Occidental. Cavagnolo and Baker each won both their sprints. As an inebriated (with success) Cavagnolo said after the game, "When I sprint, I fucking win." But the Sagehens initial elation has been softened by two successive losses, to La Verne and Redlands.

La Verne is ranked 11 in the nation, and Redlands had beaten La Verne 9-8 earlier in the season. Consequently, the Sagehens entered the pool against these teams with lower expectations than they would have against other teams. However, the Sagehens still managed to play impressively alongside both squads. Pomona-Pitzer played evenly with La Verne until midway through the third quarter.

"We stuck to the game plan of ball control and an emphasis on defense, to keep them [La Verne] from scoring, and we capitalized on most of our opportunities," said DeMento. But then, DeMento continued, "their offense exploded, and we just got outplayed in the fourth quarter."

The Sagehens had practiced defending a particular type of counter that they expected La Verne to use. A counter is when La Verne steals the ball or their goalie stops an easy shot, and the pool is open for a La Verne fast break. It was exactly those types of counters that Pomona-Pitzer had experienced success in defending earlier in the game, and it was those counters that La Verne eventually used to win. "We had a plan going into it, and fell off of it, and that got them a quick three or four goals, which we couldn't really make up," said Cavagnolo describing the situation.

Although the loss to La Verne was disappointing, it showed that the Sagehens were capable of a much higher level of play than has been expected of them. When the men come together as a team a certain excitement stirs the water of Haldeman pool. This realization may lead the Sagehens to a successful reversal of their current 1-2 SCIAC standing. As DeMento remarked, "I think we can accomplish a lot if we come together as a team."