A Bronx Tale – Fordham is For Real! Taking the Fight to USC in Semifinals at NCAA Water Polo Champs
In the late afternoon matchups during the 2024 NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship Opening Round at Stanford University’s Avery Aquatic Center, the University of Southern California (USC) showcased its resilience against California Baptist University (CBU). Despite CBU’s early 3-0 lead in the first quarter, USC settled into its game, ultimately dominating the third quarter and securing a 16-11 victory to advance to the semifinals.
Later in the evening, the most anticipated match of the day featured Fordham University against Long Beach State University. Fordham, entering the tournament with an unblemished 31-0 record, faced a formidable opponent in Long Beach State. The match began with Fordham taking a 2-0 lead, courtesy of goals from George Papanikolaou (#6) and Lucas Nieto Jasny (#10). Long Beach responded with Harper Stewart converting a 6-on-5 power play, narrowing the gap to 2-1. Long Beach attacker Caleb Francisco then equalized at 2-2 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Fordham calls time out during power play to score another goal on Long Beach
Fordham’s Papanikolaou reclaimed the lead with his second goal, making it 3-2. The Rams’ goalkeeper, Thomas Lercari, preserved this advantage with a crucial save as the quarter concluded. In the second quarter, Luca Provenziani (#18) extended Fordham’s lead to 6-4 with a high-corner shot from the left side. Long Beach State’s Evan Cain quickly countered, bringing the score to 6-5. However, Provenziani found the back of the net with 30 seconds remaining, pushing the lead to 7-5 at halftime.
The third quarter saw Fordham amplify their offensive efforts. An early goal made it 8-5, followed by Provenziani’s second goal, a precise skip shot, increasing the lead to 9-5. Andras Toth (#20) completed his hat trick, bringing the score to 10-5. Despite a timeout and a goal from Long Beach State’s Alec Johnson, Fordham’s Jacopo Parrella (#12) and Provenziani, who secured his hat trick, extended the lead to 12-7. A power play allowed Fordham’s Papanikolaou to find the near post, concluding the third quarter with a commanding 13-7 lead.
In the final quarter, Provenziani added to his tally, making it 14-7. Long Beach State’s Konstantin Kapragkos and Harper Stewart attempted to narrow the deficit, but Fordham’s Toth scored his fourth goal, and Balazs Berenyi (#2) capitalized on a power play, bringing the final score to 16-11. A misconduct penalty on Long Beach State in the closing moments solidified Fordham’s victory.
The semifinal matchups are now set: UCLA will face Stanford at 2:00 p.m. PT, followed by Fordham against USC at 4:00 p.m. PT on December 7 at the Avery Aquatic Center. Fans can anticipate intense competition as these teams vie for a spot in the national championship. Live coverage will be available on NCAA.com.