1996 Outlook
The 1996 California men's water polo team has a lot going for it. The
Golden Bears return five starters from last year's squad that finished
20-7 and placed second in the NCAA Championships, they have one of the
most talented players in the nation in two-meter man Brent Albright and
they have several other players who are potential All-Americans.
The problem is, a lot of other teams in the West Coast return a large
number of players, have an outstanding two-meter man and possess
All-American drivers.
"Last year we caught teams off-guard because we were an unknown
commodity," explained head coach Steve Heaston, who guided his young
team to the program's third, and most important, Mountain Pacific Sports
Federation title in 1995. "We are still a young team, but people will be
expecting more out of us. We only have two seniors, so we will again be
one of the youngest squads among the top schools. There will be a lot of
testing under fire. We will have to learn and improve as the season goes
along. Eight of the Top 10 teams in the nation will come out of our
conference, so there is never an easy game. If you don't play to at
least 80-90 percent of your maximum, you are going to get beat. The
toughest thing now is to repeat going to the NCAA Tournament."
The whole dynamics of what it takes for a team to make the NCAAs
changed last season as the national championship has gone from an eight
to a four-team tournament format, with only two of those four teams
coming from the West Coast. In order for Cal to qualify, the Bears
either have to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament or
be the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.
Yet, Cal does have the capability to make a run for its 12th NCAA
water polo title. The Bears feature an extremely deep and talented
squad that is sure to have an impact on 1996 NCAA water polo title
chase. Junior captain Brent Albright is one of the best young players in
the country, as evident by his selection to the U.S. National Team,
where he made it to the final cut for the Olympic Games, before being
forced out by a fractured vertebra. Albright is now healthy and is
looking to again lead Cal in scoring. He has led the Bears in scoring
both as a freshman and sophomore, last season tallying 53 points,
including five points in two NCAA Tournament matches. Albright was named
Co-MVP of the NCAA Tournament, as well as earning first team All-America
and first team MPSF honors.
"The thing about Brent is that he had the advantage of training with
the Olympic team for the past six months," said Heaston. "He was
practicing with the best water polo players in the country and it really
helped his maturity and made him stronger. It also gave him a chance to
work on his outside shooting."
Sophomore Pat Cochran will be another one of Heaston's key players
after shining as a freshman, scoring 38 points and leading Cal with
five, two-point goals. Cochran earned NCAA Tournament First Team honors
after scoring four points in the two NCAA matches. He also led the Bears
with four goals in the 9-6 victory over UCLA in the MPSF championship
match. Cochran will be used by Heaston as the primary driver in Cal's
set offense.
Junior captain Peter Stern and sophomore Brad Kittredge are two
players who represent the heart and soul of Cal water polo. Stern has
been a valuable performer since his freshman year and last season he
scored 18 points and was an NCAA Tournament Second Team selection. He
will once again be one of the team's top two-meter defenders, as well as
a team-leader through his hard work and dedication. Kittredge was
extremely impressive as a true freshman last season, scoring 19 points,
including three points against Massachusetts in the first round of the
NCAAs. He will be a workhorse on the squad with his versatility and
endurance.
Two more talented weapons in Heaston's arsenal are sophomores Phinney
Gardner and Ryan Flynn. Gardner can play either driver or two-meter and
is an impressive athlete at 6-7, 210 pounds. He scored 28 points last
season as a redshirt freshman and has improved immensely over the
summer, both as a scorer and a two-meter defender. Flynn saw exclusive
action at two-meters for the Bears during the spring and summer club
seasons and is ready to split time with Albright during the regular
season, thus allowing Albright to play outside of two-meters. Flynn was
Cal's fourth-leading scorer in '95 with 30 goals.
Junior Jeff Moloughney and sophomore Kyle Nichols continue the list
of the Bears top players. Moloughney scored 20 points last season before
separating his shoulder in mid-November versus Stanford. He is now
healthy and will continue to be one of Cal's most consistent players.
Nichols saw limited action last year, but is one of the squad's most
improved players and should be utilized for his outstanding outside
shot.
Seniors Riki Krumins and Baran Dilaver will also boost the Bears with
their assorted skills. Krumins has been a mainstay on the Cal squad the
past three years, scoring 14 points last season as one of the Bears best
counterattackers. Dilaver, who led Cal with five goals in an upset of
then-No. 1 ranked USC in '95, has an outstanding left-handed shot and
has improved his defense over the summer.
An important component of any water polo team is at the goalie
position and the Bears feature sophomore captain Peter Kiefer. Although
Kiefer only played in five matches with 18 saves last season, he has
been extremely impressive in spring and summer competition and Heaston
is confident in his young goalie's ability. Kiefer strengths include his
communication skills, quickness and passing on the counterattack.
"This team has a lot of depth and ways to attack people," said
Heaston. "We also have four left-handers and 10 guys who are 6-3 or
bigger. We have the potential to be able to utilize several different
combinations of players against our opponents, it is just a matter of
finding that right combination."
