No. 2 Seed USC Men’s Water Polo Battles On For 18

STANFORD, CALIF. — The No. 2 seeded USC men’s water polo squad navigated a thrilling NCAA semifinal match, triumphing in overtime against the previously undefeated Fordham with an amazing 18-16 Trojan win that propels USC into the NCAA Championship game for the 18th time in their last 20 consecutive appearances in the tournament. After the Rams forced overtime, USC rallied and netted three consecutive goals to seize control. Trojan goalie Bernardo Herzer and Junior Andrej Grgurevic turned in standout performances, with Herzer accumulating 17 saves and Grgurevic scoring five goals, driving USC to the NCAA title match. The Trojans now hold a 23-5 overall record, marking head coach Marko Pintaric’s 100th career victory at the helm of the USC men’s program.

Welcome to the 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁!
Pinta hits his 100th career win as USC men's head coach in an epic NCAA semifinal battle!#FightOn 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝙇𝘼𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘. pic.twitter.com/KSunhd4vbS
— USC Water Polo (@USCWaterPolo) December 8, 2024
 

Trailing 13-12 midway through the fourth, USC equalized and pulled ahead 14-13 with goals from Grgurevic and Robert López Duart with 2:30 remaining in regulation. Fordham leveled the score — the seventh tie of the game — with 1:20 on the clock, and that score held until the buzzer, necessitating overtime. In extra time, the Trojans fortify their position, beginning with a Herzer save on the defensive end, while López Duart dazzled offensively with a amazing no-look shot that ignited the Trojan offense. After Herzer denied another Fordham attempt, Jack Martin unleashed a powerful shot from set. Grgurevic intercepted and completed his own counterattack 20 seconds later, giving USC a 17-14 advantage. The Rams would hit back to close it to 17-15 before the end of the first OT, but the Trojans executed a captain connection to stretch their lead to 18-15 in the following segment. Carson Kranz assisted fellow captain Max Miller for a stunning score out of set, and the Trojans were well on their way to claiming their spot in the title match. Fordham capitalized on a 7-on-6 situation, but that would be the extent of their scoring as USC closed with an 18-16 final.

The match commenced in a frenetic manner, with Fordham awarded three 5-meter penalty chances in addition to several power plays due to numerous exclusions against the Trojans early on. The Rams converted three of their four 5-measure shots in the initial eight minutes, with the fourth giving Fordham a 5-4 edge at the end of the first. The second quarter saw persistent whistle blowing on both sides. Fordham gained a 6-4 lead early in that interval before USC narrowed the gap and eventually tied it at 6-6, courtesy of goals from Zach Bettino and López Duart. Kranz netted his first to knot it up at 7-7, and López Duart pushed USC into its first lead of the match at 8-7 in the ultimate minute of the first half. 

The Trojans surged ahead with a 4-0 scoring run to establish a 10-7 lead three minutes into the second half, but Fordham remained resilient, leveling the score at 11-11 with 1:08 remaining in the third. A hard-fought finish from Martin put the Trojans back in front at 12-11 just before the third quarter ended, setting the stage for a tense final quarter of regulation. The Rams scored twice to put USC down 13-12 with 4:48 remaining, but the Trojans rallied to find the momentum needed to force overtime.

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE MEN’S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP

NCAA SEMIFINAL
[2] USC 18, [3] Fordham 16 (OT)
Saturday, Dec. 7 | Avery Aquatic Center (Stanford, Calif.)
USC    4 – 4 – 4 – 2 — 3 – 1 = 18
FORD  5 – 2 – 4 – 3 — 1 – 1 = 16

SCORING:
USC — Andrej Grgurevic 5, Robert López Duart 4, Max Miller 3, Jack Martin 3, Carson Kranz 2, Zach Bettino.
FORD — Jacob Parella 5, Lucas Nieto Jasny 3, George Papanikolaou 2, Luca Provenziani 2, Balazs Berenyi, Luca Silvestri, Reid Thorson, Andras Toth.

SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 17, Thomas Lercari (FORD) 8. 

NEXT:
No. 2 seeded USC advances to the NCAA title match for the 18th time during its 20-year streak of NCAA participation. The Trojans will compete against crosstown rival UCLA in the battle for the 2024 NCAA Championship tomorrow (Dec. 8) at 3 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford, Calif.

NOTABLE:
– USC has reached the NCAA championship game for the 18th time in 20 consecutive tournament appearances.
– USC has previously claimed 10 national titles.
– With three goals today, Max Miller has scored in a team-high 26 of USC’s 28 matches this season.
– Miller’s total of 146 career goals ranks him No. 16 all-time in USC scoring.
– Miller has scored in each of the last eight games for USC.
– With two goals today, Carson Kranz has a total of 133 career goals, positioning him tied for No. 24 all-time in USC scoring.
– Robert López Duart continues to lead USC in multi-goal matches, with four goals today bringing his season total to 19.
– He has now scored 62 goals this season, making him one of only 14 Trojans to reach 60 or more goals in a single season.
– With five goals today, Andrej Grgurevic achieved a new personal best for his career.
– Fordham entered today’s game with an undefeated record this season before succumbed to USC (Rams wrap up the season at 32-1).
– USC has now achieved a 5-0 record in overtime contests this season.