U.S. Water Polo Team Plays to 8-8 Tie With Yugoslavia in 1st Game of Series

The U.S. water polo team, which wanted desperately to avenge the tie with Yugoslavia in the final game of the 1984 Olympics that left the U.S. with the silver medal and Yugoslavia with the gold, had to settle for a tie again Wednesday night. The U.S. and Yugoslavia played to an 8-8 tie before a sellout crowd of 1,300 at Canyonview pool at UC San Diego.

It was the first game of a four-game series for these two rivals. The teams will play at Newport Harbor High School at 7 p.m. Saturday, at the Belmont Plaza in Long Beach at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and at the McDonald Pool at USC at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

They tied, 5-5, in the championship game of the ’84 Olympics. Because overtime periods are not played in international water polo, Yugoslavia won the gold medal by having a better goal differential.

When the teams met earlier this month in a tournament in France, Yugoslavia won, 8-7, on a goal scored with three seconds to play.

“It was a pretty typical match between two even teams,” said Jodie Campbell of the U.S. team. “There was a lot of wrestling and a lot of swimming.”

Campbell scored three goals to lead the U.S. Alan Mouchawar had two goals. Peter Campbell and Evans, both of UC Irvine, and Kevin Robertson had goal apiece.

U.S. Coach Bill Barnett, head coach at Newport Harbor, said his team’s performance was: “OK . . . Not real hot. Our extra man offense was terrible. And that’s a critical thing in international competitions.”

In a sport where elbows are as commonplace as splashes, the U.S. scored on one of five extra-man situations. Yugoslavia converted three of six extra man opportunities.

Perica Bukic scored three goals, Egor Milanoric had two and Dragon Andric, Zoran Petrovic and Thomas Iav Paskvaline had one each for Yugoslavia.