By Lindsey Boyd (@lindsboyd3):
The San Jose State men’s water polo team (13-10, 1-3 GCC) suffered a second period ejection of lead goal scorer Jacob Mercep and a close 9-8 loss to No. 8 Pepperdine. (15-10, 2-1 GCC). Mercep returned to the waters to play No. 1 University of Southern California (20-1, Pac 12 1-0) but the Spartans still lost, 24-8 — their biggest loss of the season.
SJSU had a better chance to split this weekend’s matches by beating Pepperdine rather than the nation’s top team, but it was not to be. Sophomore 2-Meter Fin Pardon and freshman 2-Meter Luka Cupic led the Spartans with two goals over the Waves’ one in the first period.
The Waves tied up the game in the second while the Spartans were scoreless. With less than five seconds left in the low-scoring half, Mercep and Pepperdine’s lead scorer junior utility Marko Asic were ejected for misconduct.
After losing Mercep, the game would go back in the third.
First, sophomore Mate Totch scored twice to give the Waves their first lead. Pardon and sophomore utility Giacomo Lovatelli answered with two goals of their own to take a 5-4 lead. Senior attacker Justin Cowans scored back-to-back goals to make it 6-5 until sophomore driver Ashley Castle tied the game at six.
SJSU allowed the Waves go on a 3-0 run followed by two of it’s own by junior utility Bendeguz Toth, but it was not enough and the Spartans still fell by one.
The match against USC was not nearly as close. The Trojans got off to a 7-0 lead before Mercep scored two goals late in the first period. USC had another 7-0 run in the third.
Freshman utility Abraham Santana who has only shot in four other games this season scored his fifth goal of the year..
Goals, assists and steals combined, USC had 50 compared to SJSU’s 13.
Sophomore goalkeeper TJ Palmer had a total of 21 saves for the weekend, 13 of which were against Pepperdine, his second most saves of the season. He is now 11-10.
The Spartans who are now fourth in the Gold Coast Conference will take on fifth place Long Beach State at West Valley College on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
