Two teams of seven players each compete against one another in the team sport of water polo.
Each team attempts to score a goal by kicking the ball into the goal of the opposing team throughout each of the game’s four quarters.
At the conclusion of the game, the team with the most goals wins the match. Six field players and one goalie make up each squad.
Players, with the exception of the goalie, take part in both offensive and defensive duties. Normally, it’s played in a completely deep pool where nobody can touch the bottom.
USA Men’s Water Polo Holds Off Italy 13-12 to Open Three-Game Series in Irvine
Earlier tonight, the USA Men’s National Team defeated Italy 13–12 at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine in their first home game since December 20, 2019.
Team USA defeated Italy late in the game by one goal thanks to four goals by Alex Bowen. In the first half.
Jack Turner was outstanding in goal, making 11 saves, one of which came on a penalty shot to excite the sold-out crowd.
After coming on in the second half, Drew Holland made seven saves, including one just before the game’s end to seal the victory.
On Friday at a sold-out Stanford University, Team USA and Italy will square off one more. The game will be LIVE on ESPNU and stream on the ESPN app at 10:30 p.m. et/7:30 p.m. pt.
Turner successfully stopped a penalty attempt in the first minute, giving Team USA a good start.
After that, the offensive floodgates erupted, resulting in goals from five different players in the first period, including Bowen, Hannes Daube, Ben Hallock, Marko Vavic, and Max Irving.
USA Men Outlast Italy 21-20 In Shootout Victory To Close Three Game Series
In an exciting shootout earlier tonight at Santa Clara University, the USA Men’s National Team defeated Italy 21-20 to win the last game in a three-game series.
Chase Dodd and Hannes Daube each scored four goals, and Adrian Weinberg made 15 saves in goal.
In the final 18 seconds, Team USA lost a two-goal advantage as Italy mounted one last rally to demand an extra session.
A rerun of the match will air Sunday morning at 11:30am et/8:30am pt on ESPNU. Ben Hallock scored on the fifth and final round of the penalty shootout to secure the victory for Team USA.
Weinberg made the only save of the shootout. On Monday, the United States’ roster will be revealed.
Team USA is now getting ready for the FINA World League Super Final, which will begin on July 22 in Strasbourg, France.
Conclusion
With 6:19 remaining in the third quarter, Tyler Abramson scored two of the first three goals, giving Team USA an 8-7 advantage.
Over the following few minutes, Marko Vavic would score two more goals, the second of which came with:25 left in the session and gave Team USA its biggest lead of the night at 11-8.
With only a few seconds left, Italy scored to tie the score at 11-9 heading into the fourth.
