Bailey ignites USA to victory

Steve Virgen

Playing in front of his former college water polo coach and backed by

a raucous Orange County crowd, Ryan Bailey said he “had a lot of fun”

during a spirited and thrilling FINA World League match between Team

USA and Hungary in front of 1,755 Monday at Corona del Mar High.

Bailey, a former UC Irvine standout, was also inspired, as he

scored a game-high five goals and led the U.S. national men’s water

polo team to an impressive 11-9 victory over Hungary, the world

champion and 2000 Olympic gold winner.

While Bailey, as well as UCI products Jeff Powers, Omar Amr, Dan

Klatt and Genai Kerr, were excited to be at CdM, where UCI Coach Ted

Newland watched, they were also thrilled with the win.

“We’re all really excited,” Bailey said. “Hungary is the No. 1

team in the world and for us to beat them, that shows that we’re

headed in the right direction coming up to the Olympics. It’s

exciting for all of us because they’re the pinnacle of the sport

right now, so it’s great to beat them.”

Hungary (6-3) took a 9-8 lead with 3:10 remaining. But the

Americans (4-6) came back, as Tony Azevedo connected on an outside

shot with 2:48 remaining to knot the score at nine.

Then, Bailey scored the go-ahead goal, finishing off a nice entry

pass from Azevedo with 1:31 left. The goal came on a six-on-five

opportunity. Team USA was 6 of 14 on the man advantage, while the

Hungarians were 5 of 15.

Powers scored the game-clinching goal on an outside shot with 35

seconds remaining.

“It’s a big step,” Powers said of the victory. “We still have a

month away from the Olympics. We’re training hard and we’re not in

our best shape, so to be able to hang with the best team in the world

and even beat them is just huge for us. At the same time, we still

have a lot of work to do.”

The U.S. national team opened the game with a 3-0 lead, but

Hungary answered with three of goals of its own before the first

quarter came to an end. In the second quarter, the Americans broke

away from a 4-4 tie, as they went on a 3-1 run to close out the half.

Bailey scored from two meters with a backhand shot, Wolf Wigo

added another goal on a six-on-five and Chris Segesman finished on a

counterattack before Hungary ended the U.S. scoring stint with a

man-advantage goal with 1:28 left.

The Americans scored their three consecutive goals in a span of

one minute, 41 seconds.

Defense was the theme of the third quarter, as both teams went

scoreless through the first five minutes of the period. Early in the

quarter, U.S. goalie Brandon Brooks knocked away a four-meter penalty

attempt.

Brooks is one of two goalies, whom also include Kerr, the former

Sage Hill School boys and girls water polo coach, who did not play

Monday. The goalies alternate play from game to game.

“It was great to be home,” said Kerr, who reunited with a few of

his former high school players after the game. “It was great that the

game was nationally televised. And, the win was huge momentum going

into the Olympics.”

Hungary had the momentum going into the fourth quarter. The

Hungarians scored three unanswered goals to end the third quarter

with an 8-7 lead.

However, the U.S. national team scored with 5:50 left when Bailey

followed in a pass from Azevedo at two meters. After the goal, the

game’s announcer, Don Brantley, said, “That’s the way Newland taught

it.”