It has been 50 years since the UC Irvine men's water polo team won its first-ever NCAA National Championship in an exhilarating sudden-death battle with UCLA at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.
Three-time All American Ferdy Massimino's lob shot in sudden-death overtime soared over the UCLA goal keeper, lifting the Anteaters to a 7-6 victory over the Bruins.
 |
| All-American Ferdy Massimino |
Mike Sherrill (Martin), a three-time All American, remembers the game against UCLA vividly. "We were bitter rivals with UCLA. We played two games against them in the regular season and split so the championship game was our chance to prove we were better. The rivalry was four years in the making, and it all culminated in 1970 when we had a chance to face them in the NCAA Championship title game."
UCI defeated USC, 7-4, in the first round and Long Beach State, 9-6 in the semifinals to advance to the title game against the Bruins. The Anteaters earned a 24-2 mark during the regular-season and were the Golden Coast Conference Champions. Before the title game, UCI was 3-7 against UCLA all-time.
The championship match against UCLA was a back and forth battle. The teams were deadlocked after regulation, sending the game into overtime. UCI trailed by two in the second overtime but goals from Jim Bradburn and Mason Philpot tied things up, sending the game to sudden-death.
"The shot everyone remembers was Ferdy's lob shot in the sudden-death overtime that trickled into the net," remarks Sherrill. "But another moment of the game people don't remember was Mason Philpot's four made penalty shots. He was the man for the job and ended up going four-for-four and making all of them. He later told us he was so nervous he had his eyes closed on every single penalty shot."
 |
| All-American Mike Sherrill (Martin) |
The win over UCLA marked UCI's first men's water polo championship and fourth overall championship for UC Irvine Athletics.
The 1970 team had six All-Americans including Sherrill, Massimino, Philpot, Dale Hahn, Bruce Black and Terry Klein. Massimino was also named the NCAA Tournament MVP and was inducted into UCI's first Hall of Fame class in 1983. Sherrill was inducted into the UCI Hall of Fame in 1988.
Sherrill, Massimino, Philpot and Hahn were all seniors in 1970 and had been playing together for several years' prior leading up to the championship moment.
"We played together a long time and knew each other so well. The team chemistry that season was unmatched because we were all so familiar with each other and spent a lot of time team bonding," said Sherrill.
"It was a sweet victory," remembers Sherrill. "After the win we threw our coach, Ted Newland, into the pool and I think it was the first and last time that ever happened!"
Since 1970, UCI men's water polo has won two more National Championships in 1982 and 1989, respectively. The 'Eaters also have nine Conference Championships under their belt.
