MEN'S WATER POLO: TROJANS WILL FACE CAL FOR CHAMPIONSHIP.

Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer

During halftime of its NCAA men's water polo semifinal, USC swam laps in the shallow end of the pool. The top-seeded Trojans needed to get a workout somehow.

USC received little challenge from fourth-seeded Navy as the Trojans, with their starters on the bench for much of the game, cruised to a 20-3 victory Saturday at Loyola Marymount.

The win gives defending champion USC a chance to avenge its lone loss of the season when the Trojans face Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival Cal for the national title at 2 p.m. today.

The second-seeded Golden Bears, who advanced with a 17-7 route of UC San Diego in the other semifinal, snapped USC's 44-game winning streak last weekend in the conference championship game.

No team from outside of California has won a national title since water polo became an NCAA sport in 1969, and the Trojans (26-1) made it clear early that wasn't about to change this year. USC scored the first nine goals before Navy's Tyler Hill scored on a power play with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter.

The Trojans finished with goals from ten players. USC senior driver Juan Delgadillo scored a game-high four goals. Tommy Corcoran added three. Matt Sagehorn, Drew Vyn, Jovan Vranes J.W. Krumpholz, and Arjan Ligtenberg each scored twice.

USC goalkeeper Adam Shilling made nine saves in threequarters.

The Trojans led 12-2 at halftime, and Navy (24-6) did not score another goal after Hill netted his second of the game with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter.

`I give USC credit,'' Navy coach Mike Schofield said. `They beat us in every way you can get beat, in every phase of the game. I give much credit to the Trojans. They're everything they're cracked up to be, and maybe even a little more.''

USC can expect a closer game today. The Trojans have faced Cal (30-4) four times this season, winning the first three matchups. Only one of the meetings was decided by more than one goal.

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