Two conference victories have boosted Loyola Marymount men’s water polo team into solid position, a shade from first place, as the Western Water Polo Association regular season nears its conclusion.
LMU edged Cal Baptist 16-15 at Riverside, then topped Concordia 17-14 at Burns Center. The Lions have one conference match left and two non-conference affairs before the WWPA playoffs begin later this month.
Last week’s results:
Oct. 31 at Cal Baptist: The hot hand of Blazo Mitrovic (eight goals) paced the Lions at Riverside, his final score breaking a 15-15 tie with 1:29 remaining. Daniel Roth added three goals, Austin Clark two and Alexandros Athymaritis, David Carrasco and Joseph Cavazos one each, with Carrasco tallying four assists and Mitrovic two.
Nov. 2 vs. Concordia: Returning home, LMU used six more goals by Mitrovic and a tight defense in critical situations to rally from an early deficit and pull away from Concordia. Cavazos added four goals, Athymaritis two, and Carrasco had two goals and six assists. Clark, Joseph Shaw and Nicolaus Rimlinger each scored once.
This week: LMU (12-9, 5-1 in WWPA) plays conference leader UC Davis (11-7, 5-0) on Nov. 7 (3 p.m.) at Burns Center, seeking to avenge an 18-16 loss to the Aggies in September. The Lions then host non-conference foes Occidental on Nov. 9 (2:30 p.m.) and Long Beach State on Nov. 14 (3 p.m.) prior to the WWPA Championships Nov. 22-24 in Riverside.
