By Matthew Meyer (@mattmeyersjsu) – Spear Reporter | SJSU attacker Zalan Hegedus and SJSU driver Mael Suchet assist SJSU goalkeeper Alexey Poletaev on defense (Photo by Gabriella Kelly – Spear Photographer)
The San Jose State men’s water polo team (4-3, 0-0 WCC) held off an ambitious West Valley Vikings team (11-3) in their 15-10 exhibition match victory at the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center.
The Spartans were looking to turn the page in their second match of the day after losing earlier to No. 4 ranked Stanford 12-5.
While the match was only an exhibition, the Vikings’ 11-3 record this season put them on SJSU’s radar.
“They have a lot of good international players that we need to be aware of,” Spartans’ head coach Gabor Sarusi said before the match. “We need to make sure that we match up with them really well, and if we do, then I think it should be a good game for us.”
The Spartans started with some new faces in the water. Two freshmen, utilityman Bence Kristok and center Liam Doduski, got a chance to show off their skills.
Doduski took his chance and swam with it, scoring the first goal of the match.
Goalkeeper Alexey Poletaev got the start in the net. Poletaev’s handful of saves wasn’t his only impact, he contributed vocally, shouting to his teammates throughout the match to coordinate their defense.
“The goalie is really important,” Poletaev said. “You have to tell everyone where to go, what defense we’re about to do. Also, it helps them a lot, too. In the water, you cannot always hear the coach yell. Sometimes the goalie who is closer to you is easier to listen to.”
Senior driver Mael Suchet, who played in both matches today, shined at the start of the second period, picking up two steals and blocking a pass on defense.
“We practiced a lot of defensive drills during the week,” Suchet said.
The Spartans took the lead early and were able to hold it the entire match.
During the match, cheers not only came from the fans in the stands, but also from the Spartan bench.
“Usually, (the guys) on the bench are supporting the guys in the pool, (today) the roles get reversed, the starters are sitting more and they get to cheer for the other guys,” coach Sarusi said.
The match was an opportunity for coach Sarusi to evaluate the players on his bench and assess whether they’re ready to do more for the team the rest of the season.
“This was a really good game to see our second line that usually comes off the bench,” coach Sarusi said. “They played way more minutes, and I wanted to see if they could do that.”
The Spartans are gearing up for their first West Coast Conference match against the Loyola Marymount Lions at noon next Friday at the Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center.
