Annual California trip this weekend for men's water polo

After a heartbreaking overtime loss to Bucknell on the road Sunday in Lewisburg, Pa., head coach Luis Nicolao and the men's water polo team know that they can't afford to make the same mistakes twice. As Princeton (10-3 overall) gears up for its next road trip — this time, not just to the neighboring state but all the way to California — plenty of hard work and a heavy dose of adrenaline will be crucial.

This weekend will bring three days of backbreaking competition against some of the highest-scoring and highest-ranked teams in the country. On Friday the Tigers will face off against UC San Diego, while Princeton faces two doubleheaders, first against Long Beach State (12-5) and California Baptist (9-9) on Saturday, then against Loyola Marymount (10-7) and UCLA (6-2) on Sunday.

With the loss to Bucknell, the Tigers saw their 14-game league win streak snapped, but even with so many wins behind them, Nicolao is looking for more from his team. While Princeton has dominated in the pool physically, the team hasn't completely gelled.

"We need to work more on our mental approach," Nicolao said. "Right now we seem to be sleepwalking a little through some games. We have yet to put together four good quarters in one game; for some reason we go through some bad spells."

This weekend is their chance to come together and play for the full 28 minutes.

Going into a five-game weekend might seem to be a difficult task for any team, and adding 2,000 miles each way and a three-hour time difference certainly doesn't help. Still, Nicolao isn't worried; in fact, he's looking forward to the weekend, and what may seem daunting to the average traveler excites the water polo team.

"We travel very well," Nicolao said. "I know the guys are always excited to play games in California. This excitement gets us over any tiredness we may feel."

Still, the team is going to have to overcome even more than mere jet lag, as it will come up against not only some of the strongest teams, but also arguably some of the most intimidating players in the NCAA.

The Tigers start off with UC San Diego, a team they lost to only a month ago, 11-9, at DeNunzio Pool. In that first game, Princeton will have to face the two-time Division II Player of the Year, senior utility Jonathan Hopkins, who leads his team with 42 goals and 33 assists thus far in the season.

Long Beach State's senior two-meter Brett McCleave has also scored 42 goals and will be a noteworthy presence in the pool Saturday in the Tigers' second contest.

Still, Princeton boasts the players and the skills to compete with all of these teams, with junior center Nicholas Seaver and senior driver John Stover leading the offense. Both have notched 19 goals so far this season.

The team can also feel confident in sophomore goalkeeper Scott Syverson, who had made 48 saves in his last nine games and a 7-2 record.

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The Tigers' greatest task is to prepare themselves completely for what will undoubtedly be a challenge for every player.

"The important thing is to work on a few parts of our game, get our schoolwork done and be mentally prepared for a tough weekend of games," Nicolao said.

With those provisions in mind, Princeton is poised to compete well. Consistent play and solid teamwork in every game can propel the Tigers to victory and help them start a new win streak.

But they will have to stay strong both mentally and physically all weekend, especially in their final game when they face the 2004 NCAA Champions, UCLA. Stopping the Bruins' senior attacker David Pietsch, who leads his team with 18 goals and eight assists and who scored a career-high six goals in his last game, could present a difficult challenge for Princeton's defense.

All in all, the Tigers seem ready to attack and come back to Bucknell next week with several wins under their belt to counteract their loss last Sunday.