CLUB ROUNDUP: Water Polo club sinks Maryland

This past weekend the Penn water polo team captained by senior Steve Fallon and junior Jon Dwight went undefeated in its first tournament of the 1995 season. It was important for Penn to get off to a good start after going 7-3-1 and finishing a disappointing fifth in its division last season. Heading into this year the squad had high expectations after being ranked ninth in a preseason poll. In this first tournament Penn proved its high preseason rank was no fluke as it demolished three of its opponents -- Virginia, Georgetown and James Madison -- and got by Maryland, the previous No. 3 team in the country. Penn realized its toughest competition would come against powerhouse Maryland, which had beaten the Red and Blue each of the previous three years. Maryland has won division championships each of the past three years and took the national title two years ago. Similar to previous years, the stage was set for a big battle between Penn and Maryland. Early on in the game Penn was able to set the tone, jumping out to an early 6-4 lead. As the third quarter started, Penn felt very confident in the way it was playing. Penn was controlling the ball on offense and getting good shots. However, by the end of the third period Maryland had actually jumped ahead, 8-7, on a two-point goal (just like the NBA has the three point line, water polo has a two point line). With the start of the fourth quarter, Penn played aggressively and was able to quickly reestablish its lead, taking yet another two-goal advantage at 11-9. It seemed Penn would finally upset Maryland, but with 24 seconds left Maryland hit its second two-pointer to tie the game at 11 with 24 seconds left. In its last attempt to win the game Penn was able to create a man advantage by drawing a foul, setting up a dramatic finish. The hero was sophomore Ben Schnayerson, who got the ball on a swing play and burned it past the opposing goalie with only two tics remaining on the clock. "As the ball came to me they just didn't swing over fast enough?I figured we didn't have much time left and basically I was wide open with a real good angle," Schnayerson said. Schnayerson, who had blown his other two scoring opportunities during the game was able to connect when it really counted. "This was the biggest win the Penn water polo program has had in the past four years, no question about it," said senior Steve Fallon, who has played water polo at Penn since he was a freshman. The success of the water polo team this year can be attributed to a new focus and overall commitment to winning. "There are a lot of dedicated guys this year that are willing to put in the time that it takes to win," Fallon said of the difference between this year's team and last year's. Now that the Penn water polo team has been able to get off to such a great start the real question becomes: Can the team maintain the same intensity and fire when it meets Penn State in two weeks?