By Lindsey Boyd (@lindsboyd3):
Third time’s a charm. But for men’s water polo, third season’s a chance — a chance to become nationally ranked.
Turn back the clock to SJSU’s debut 2015-2016 season after suffering a 34-year water polo-less drought and you’d be stepping into a construction zone. Read the signs and they’d say, “young players at work.”
After two years of building coupled with international recruiting, the team says it is ready to make waves in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference and across the nation. Some, like returning sophomores Ben Hausechild and Marc Weber, even say the team can land amongst the best in the country.
“I would like to finish top ten,” Hausechild said of his expectations for the season.
Weber said that the competition to place top-10 in the nation is steep, but he believes that making the cut for top-15 is doable. Head coach Bruce Watson’s recruiting efforts will also help the team rise in rank.
“Last season we were competitive with all the good teams for a while and then they figured out that we didn’t have a center forward,” said head coach Bruce Watson. “It’s like playing basketball without a center.”
This season, new recruits like 6-foot-3 center Stefan Petkovic will fill the “missing parts” of the offense that Watson spoke about. Not only will the new players complete the offense, but they’ll add aggression to the defense.
“If they were born here, they would be linebackers,” Watson said of his international recruits. “Those are the kind [of players] we need to compete.”
Returning players like All-Conference Honor Hausechild set the bar high last season and are eager to improve their personal records.
“Personally, I want more goals, more steals,” Hausechild said after having finishing third in the country in steals last season. “[Just] improve off of every one of the statistics.”
Last season, the Spartans lost nearly a third of their games by three or less goals. The team is looking to clean up its shots and hold its opponents to within a few goals in order to improve it’s 7-21 record in 2016.
Although SJSU lost all of its conference matches last season, the close games sparked a certain energy amongst the team. This type of hyped spirit is one that the sophomores hope to carry on this season.
“I think you need those close games to develop the mental strength,” Weber said, “When you push each other, it’s easier for the new guys to see ‘okay they have the mental strength’ or ‘they want to fight through it.’”
The Spartans have the mental drive and fight to take on the beast-filled Division I waters. By playing against some of the toughest teams and players in the nation, they have a chance to rise in ranks.
On paper, the positions are filled. Long days of conditioning out of the water have passed and the goals are set. The Spartans’ first test of their new strength will be Saturday, Sept. 2 against local rival, Santa Clara University.
“I want to have fire in the game,” Weber said. “It’s one of the games that can be close.”