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Sophomore
Reid Tomassi will have to pick up the slack
this season for the water polo team as senior
standout Erik Geoffroy was forced to redshirt
due to a knee injury. Tomassi led the 49ers
to a 3-1 record at the Navy Open over the
weekend. • Matt Brown CSULB/Sports
Information
Water
polo goes 3-1 at Navy Open
By
Moria Khou
Daily Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
Long
Beach State splashed into their 2004 campaign
against the Bucknell University Bisons Saturday
at the Navy Open in Annapolis, Md.
Playing
in a neutral site, the Bisons kept the match
close at two goals apiece after a quarter
of play, but with four goals from sophomore
driver Reid Tomassi, the 49ers swam away
with the victory, 10-4.
Junior
goalkeeper, Thomas Onyshko kept the Bisons
at bay with eight total saves. Meanwhile,
Bisons’ goalie, Trevor Mullins, gave
up six goals in the second half.
One
bright spot for the Bisons was junior utility
player, Bradley Roslyn, who recorded three
goals.
49er
goals came from Brett McCleave, Jay Gerardi,
John Filipponi, James Durley and Brad Scoles.
With
a minute and a half left on the clock, the
49ers scored the game winner to sink the
U.S. Naval Academy in the second game Saturday,
and open the season 2-0.
The
game against Navy was closely contested
until the final minute when sophomore driver,
Eric Markle fired the game winner past Navy’s
goalkeeper Patrick McCreary. Both Markle
and Golden West transfer, McCleave, found
the back of the net twice during the match.
Tomassi, Gerardi and Scoles each scored
their second goals of the season.
With
the victory, the 49ers avenged their only
defeat at last year’s open against
Navy.
Early
Sunday morning the 49ers took to the pool
for its third game in the open against the
Ivy League men of MIT. The Techs, from Massachusetts,
didn’t put up any resistance to the
49ers who trounced them, 15-1.
Sophomore
goalkeeper Danny Malconiano of MIT saw a
barrage of shots from the 49ers, but was
only able to turn away five of them.
The
49ers posted five goals in the first half
of the match and did one better in the third
period with six goals.
McCleaves
led the way for the 49ers finding the net
four times. The utility duo of Filipponi
and Lindroth chipped in with two goals apiece
as a total of 10 49ers scored in the game.
Fresh
off its onslaught over MIT, the 49ers looked
to go undefeated at the Navy Open during
the afternoon match against the St. Francis
Terriers of New York.
The
Terriers and 49ers were even entering the
fourth and final quarter at 5-5. However,
the bite from the Terriers was more than
the 49ers could handle as Long Beach State
fell in defeat 7-6.
Despite
of the loss, McCleave continued his brilliant
play as he added two more goals during the
game bringing his season total to nine.
Additional goals in the match came from
Filipponi and Scoles with two apiece as
Tomassi chipped in one goal.
The
49ers will resume its season at the Southern
California Tournament held at the University
of Southern California, September 18 to
19.
The
49ers will tune up for the tournament playing
against the Alumni team on Sunday at 12
noon at the Campus Pool.
Notes:
49ers’ Head Coach Rich Azevedo was
fresh off his stint at the Summer Olympic
Games in Athens, Greece where he was the
U.S. National Team assistant coach. With
a record of 3-1 at the Navy Open, Azevedo
increased his overall record to 76-67. This
is Azevedo’s sixth season at the helm
of the 49ers’ water polo program.
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