Requiring the technical and strategic skills of soccer, baseball, hockey, and rugby, and the ability to swim and tread water for unending periods of time, water polo is a sport full of fast-paced, physical games, Wesleyan’s club men’s polo team has been especially aware of that this year.
“It’s a interesting game, at worst,” said coach Mac Clonan ’05.
This year’s team currently holds a 6-7 record, which does not accurately reflect the team’s play thus far.
“The thing about this year is we took on a much more difficult schedule,” said co-captain John Pepi ’08. “But it’s making us a better team.”
On Sept. 25, the team was ranked 20th nationally by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), a first for any Wesleyan polo team.
“We snuck in for the first time, and unfortunately dropped down with some losses in the opening league match,” Clonan said. “It was really nice to break in for everyone who’s been in the program for the last four years, and to show the younger guys.”
The Cardinals opened up the season with a tournament in Rochester, NY, beating 20th-ranked Colgate handily, 10-4, allowing Wes to make it into the CWPA poll. The following weekend brought the team to Yale, where it played a competitive game against the host team, ranked sixth in the nation, but lost 15-13.
“It was really cool stepping into a game like that, where one team is ranked so high nationally, and being able to compete the entire game,” said Andrew Jaycox ’10.
After the first two tournaments, the Cardinals had amassed a 4-5 record, but were only seven goals away from going 9-0.
“After playing Yale, we learned that the league is really close in ability, and anybody can win on any day,” Jaycox said.
Last weekend, the team took to the pool in Philadelphia, losing 16-7 to closely ranked Villanova, a game Clonan called “a big reality check.” The Cards dropped a close game to the Greater Philadelphia Athletic Club, keeping it tied until 12 seconds remained in the final period. Their opponents, adults with years of experience, were “not in as great of shape, but had a much greater polo IQ,” according to Clonan.
“The refs told us it was the best game we had played all weekend,” he said.
The competitive play this year’s team has shown is thanks in large part to the number of seniors on the squad. Out of the starting seven, only two players are not seniors
“We have a strong senior core and a lot of experience,” said co-captain Matt Brownstein ’07. “We’ve been playing together the last four years, so we’ve got the intangibles down; we know what we like and we get it done.”
“It’s an honor, playing with seniors who are really talented,” Jaycox, the only starting freshman and the team’s leading scorer with 27 goals so far, said.
Jaycox is followed by John Halay ’07 and Brownstein on the team’s scoring list.
Clonan’s coaching is also cited as a reason for improvement this year. A player-coach while attending Wesleyan, he has been the full coach for the past two years.
“The past few years, we’ve really brought up the level of our program,” Brownstein said. “And Mac’s coaching, out of the water, gives him an objective perspective to see what’s going on around the pool.”
Clonan also sees the benefits of focusing solely on coaching.
“I think it makes all the difference not having someone in the water working on his own game as well,” Clonan said.
Team dynamics also factor in.
“We have so much fun together,” Jaycox said. “From day one, we were joking around. It makes it really light, but it’s also easier to compete together.”
With a sub-.500 record, there is room for improvement, and Clonan sees the team itself as its biggest opponent.
“We beat ourselves,” he said. “I really push for playing clean and limiting our mistakes.”
With fewer than eight turnovers per game, compared to over 14 steals per match, the Cardinals are in a position to stay sharp, but they still need to find a way to convert on man-up advantages (when the other team must send a player out for a 20 second penalty).
Clonan also tries to keep avoidable errors to a minimum, posting another stat for the players each week: DAP, or dumbass plays.
“It’s a check,” he said. “If you’re a dumbass, I’m going to tell you you’re a dumbass so you don’t do it again. The guys bust each other, but it’s all in good humor.”
Over the weekend of Oct. 14, the Cards are set to host rivals Yale and Williams, as well as other division opponents. At the end of this month, the team will play in the New England Division championships at Williams. On Nov. 4 and 5, Wesleyan will again play host, holding the Division III Championships at Freeman Natatorium. The two-time defending champion Cardinals are confident of a repeat of past performances.
“It’s a great chance for the seniors to three-peat,” said Clonan, “And a chance for those who haven’t seen the sport to come and watch.”
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