OCC men’s water polo: Pirates’ best is not enough

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Even though the Orange Coast College men’s water polo

team suffered the loss, Wednesday, to Riverside City, Pirates’ Coach

Jason Gall thought the team played its best match of the season.

OCC’s best, however, could not overcome the Tigers attack and

Riverside picked up an emphatic 7-6 Orange Empire Conference victory at

the Pirates’ pool.

“Those kids played really well today,” Riverside Coach Dave Almquist

said of OCC. “I wouldn’t want to play them here again. They had the

chances to win.”

The Pirates didn’t take full advantage of their scoring opportunities,

Almquist said. The Tigers on the other hand capitalized on OCC’s

mistakes. Riverside scored three out of six on six-on-five situations.

And RCC’s Ben Carlson, who scored two goals, connected on a penalty shot.

“We just made critical defensive mistakes,” Gall said. “But, the guys

played with intensity through four quarters. We improved in the intensity

category today.”

Riverside had just one ejection, while the Pirates were assessed six.

OCC also failed to score on its only penalty shot opportunity. With

five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Riverside goalie Doug

Finfrock smacked away David Collier’s shot to maintain the Tigers’ lead

at 2-1. Finfrock finished the match with 11 saves as OCC’s goalie Graham

Harvey recorded the same amount.

The Pirates entered the second half with revived play. They scored

three goals in less than two minutes.

First, Jeffrey Pratt stole the ball and took off for a breakaway and

finished it for OCC’s first lead of the match, 3-2.

Forty-five seconds later, freshman Jeffery Sample scored from the left

side on a setup pass from Christopher Lancellotti. Michael Vaillancourt

scored less than a minute later to increase the lead to 5-2.

RCC called a timeout and answered with three goals of its own to catch

the Pirates at 5-5 with six minutes remaining. Then the Tigers took the

lead and held it.

“After the (halftime) break, it was as if (the Pirates) were a

different team,” Almquist said. “It wasn’t just in one aspect. but they

were a different team in so many ways. Those kids can get to state

(championships) if they keep playing like this and keep getting better.”

The Tigers entered the match ranked No. 4 in the state by the

Community College Water Polo Poll and their record now stands at 15-5-1

and 4-1 in the OEC, good for second place.

The Pirates fell to 7-9-1, 2-2, and are now fourth in the conference.

“We thought this match would be for second place (in the OEC),” Gall

said. “Now we’re 2-2 and we have to beat Fullerton.”

OCC will play at Mt. San Antonio Friday at 3 p.m.

ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE

Riverside City 7, Orange Coast 6

Riverside CC 2 0 2 3 - 7

Orange Coast 1 1 3 1 - 6

Goals: Vaillancourt 2, Sample 2, Lancellotti 1, Pratt 1. Saves: Harvey 11.