Nov. 16, 2016

DAVIS, Calif. - With a 21-5 overall record and a perfect 6-0 in conference games, UC Davis men's water polo holds the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye in this weekend's Santa Clara-hosted Western Water Polo Association championship. The Aggies rank eighth in the nation -- their sixth straight week in the top 10. Now sitting just two victories away from both setting a school wins record and snaring the program's first NCAA postseason berth in 19 years, Leyson and his Aggie players have every reason to believe they are on the cusp of fulfilling a historic season.

And yet, as if invoking the university's academic reputation, they're being smart about it.

"We're feeling good in a smart way," Leyson said. "That means we need to play the right way and play to our strengths. We need to exert the effort it takes to play well. We're not overconfident in any way. We don't think we're entitled to anything. Everyone will be at their best and giving us their absolute best, so we're trying to be intelligently confident."

The final stretch of the regular season provides ample reason to feel good. The Aggies beat then-No. 8 Pepperdine in a 10-9 thriller on October 29. They held off a tough Loyola Marymount challenge in a 13-8 conference win on November 3, then competed their undefeated WWPA slate with a 7-5 defensive standoff against UC San Diego two days later. Then last week, UC Davis battled No. 5 Pacific nearly goal-for-goal until the Tigers pulled away to the win in the fourth quarter.

"We're so close to winning these games. It comes down to one or two plays in these types of games," said Leyson, definitely pleased with the overall showing against Pacific. Besides the confidence boost of matching up with one of the nation's elite teams, the contest served a larger purpose of keeping the players' intensity levels high during the two-week lead-up between the conference season and conference championship. 

"I feel the type of game that we played, such as the way it was officiated, will be very comparable to what we'll see at the WWPAs," said Leyson. "So it was a great game in terms of our preparation. It's exciting, and we're training hard this week to get ready."

Further adding to the caution in the coach's optimism is the team's recent history at the WWPA championship. Each of the 2013 and 2015 teams – Leyson's first and third seasons – entered the tournament as the undefeated top seed. Both squads lost in low-scoring championship games to UC San Diego. Last year's final was a true upset: the Aggies ranked ninth nationally to the Tritons' 16th, seeded first to their opponent's third. UCSD even entered the tourney with a sub-.500 record.

No fewer than nine current Aggies saw significant action in that 2015 title game, and while he will direct his team to look forward throughout their week of training, Leyson knows his veterans will draw from that memory. Even the coach, for all of his elite-level, international experience, admits that last year's tournament has served as motivation. "As a coach, I have a lot to learn," he said, "and sometimes you can learn more from losing than you can from winning. That was certainly a painful lesson last year, and I've been reflecting on that for an entire year."

Among the returnees looking to exorcise the 2015 demons are five All-WWPA honorees. Sophomore attacker Ido Goldschmidt was announced as the conference's Player of the Year on Tuesday, with fellow sophomore Sasa Antunovic joining him on the All-WWPA first team. Those two players enter the championship with 43 and 42 goals, respectively, while second-team honoree
Marcus Anderson is right behind with 41 tallies. Junior goalkeeper Spencer Creed made the All-WWPA second team for the second straight season, thanks to his 207 saves and .539 average. 

Junior Cory Laidig and freshman Yurii Hanley, often considered unsung heroes on the team, earned their due from the conference coaches with an All-WWPA honorable mention and All-Freshman Team nod. Laidig enters this weekend with 28 goals, 24 assists, 33 steals and a team-leading .609 shooting percentage. Hanley, who gives Leyson another left-handed weapon alongside Goldschmidt, provided his expected defensive contributions of 20 steals and a team-best 13 blocked shots. He also added 17 goals and 22 assists on the offensive end.

Overall, eight Aggies have netted at least 20 goals this year. Besides the All-WWPA honorees, sophomore Riley Venne hit 29, junior Morgan Olson-Fabbro added 28, freshman Eric Martel had 27, and senior captain Tennyson May contributed another 23. The previous high for scoring a score belonged to the 2007 team, which achieved that feat in 33 games, compared to this year's 26.

Most importantly, certainly to Leyson, is the way his Aggies have improved every week of the year. They seek to elevate their game even more in these last few days before heading to the Bay Area. 

"We feel good about where we are, but we also understand that the tournament is a wild card. It begins with the fact that we're not even sure who we're going to play on Day 2. So that's a lot to prepare for. We have to prepare for every team. But we're in a good place, and I feel excited."

The WWPA Championship features three quarterfinal games on Friday, two semifinals and a consolation semi on Saturday, then the placing games on Sunday. UC Davis awaits the lowest-seeded advancing team from Friday's action for its 11:15 a.m. semifinal on the 19th. The winner of the tournament earns the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championship. 

Santa Clara will stream all nine games at its YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/EyeBronco/live. Furthermore, live statistics are available at TheFosh.net.

2016 WWPA MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Santa Clara University - Sullivan Aquatic Center

FRIDAY, NOV. 18
Game 1 - (2) UC San Diego vs. (7) Fresno Pacific, 10:30 a.m.
Game 2 - (3) Loyola Marymount vs. (6) Air Force, 12:15 p.m.
Game 3 - (4) Cal Baptist vs. (5) Santa Clara, 2 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 19
Game 4 - Lowest-seeded losing teams from Friday, 9:30 a.m.
Game 5 (Semifinal) - (1) UC Davis vs. lowest-seeded advancing team from Friday, 11:15 a.m.
Game 6 (Semifinal) - Highest-seeded advancing teams from Friday, 1 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOV. 20
Game 7 (Fifth Place) - Winner Game #4 vs. highest-seeded losing team from Friday
Game 8 (Third Place) - Loser Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6
Game 9 (Final) - Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #6

SKIP SHOTS: Among the markers for UC Davis, including its breadth of scorers, is its prowess at power plays -- both for and against... The 2016 Aggies have converted 55.1 percent of its 6-on-5 opportunities, by far the highest since the team began keeping such stats in 2004... Furthermore, their five-man defense has held opponents to just 29.2 percent success, the lowest since the 2007 team stifled foes to 26.6 percent... For the record, that 2007 squad holds the school record for winning percentage (22-7, .759)... This year's Aggies are 21-5 (.808)... The 2007 and 2011 teams each share the benchmark for total wins... UC Davis last won the WWPA and thus reached the NCAA Championship in 1996 and 1997, under then-head coach Tom Elson.

-30-