MEN'S WATER POLO: Ending what first-year head coach Tim Settem called "a good run while it lasted," the Pirates' men's water polo team dropped a 14-5 decision to No. 1 Long Beach Friday in the Southern California Regional Quarterfinals at Cerritos College. Joe Yamamoto led VC with four goals and three steals and Sean McGee had eight saves and two steals to lead Ventura (15-15). Rogelio Coronado netted the other goal in the match for VC.
Long Beach, the No. 1 seed and the state's top-ranked team raced out to a 5-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. The Pirates were able to settle in after that, but the damage had been done. Long Beach played with a deep bench and a strong goal keeper, ending the Ventura's season.
It was a resurgent season for Ventura, however, as they posted an 11-5 record after October 12, losing but three matches in regulation time over that period. They finished a strong second in the Western State Conference and registered their first playoff victory in five seasons. With that success, the future looks bright for Ventura College men's water polo.