Tokyo, Japan - July 29 - A blistering hot start, that saw the U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team lead by as many as four goals, wasn't enough as Italy rallied for a 12-11 win in the third match of group play at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Team USA now falls to 2-1 while Italy improves to 2-0-1 in Group A action. A high octane effort from Team USA was led on offense by two goals apiece from Alex Obert, Luca Cupido, Alex Bowen and Max Irving. Drew Holland piled up 11 saves in net in his second start in Tokyo. A full replay of the match is available by clicking here and will replay as part of Olympic programming on NBC starting at 12pm et/9am pt and NBC Sports Network starting at 8pm et/5pm pt. Team USA is back in action on Saturday when they take on Hungary in Group A play at 2pm local time/1am eastern/10pm pacific (July 30). The match will air live on USA Network and can be streamed by clicking here.
Team USA couldn't have scripted a
better start to this match as Alex Obert cleaned up a Hannes Daube shot for a power
play goal just a minute into the action. Just a few minutes later Alex Bowen
ripped the net from the outside on a power play goal for a 2-0 lead. Moments
later Bowen converted on a penalty shot, then Max Irving added a penalty shot
score of his own and quickly Team USA was up 4-0 on the defending World
Champions. Italy began to chip away stringing together consecutive goals to
make it 4-2 after one.
Italy carried the hot hand into the
second quarter drawing to within one at 4-3 just a minute into the quarter.
Team USA answered with an outside score from Hannes Daube and a power play goal
from Cupido to rebuild their lead to three at 6-3 with 3:18 left in the half.
After Italy clawed back to within two, Cupido hit on another power play to make
it 7-4 with time running out in the second quarter. Italy had the final word as
Pietro Figlioli connected on a power play as time expired in the first half,
leaving Team USA ahead 7-5 at the break.
Johnny Hooper scored on the power
play to open the third quarter, giving Team USA a 8-5 lead less than thirty
seconds into the period. Stefano Luongo followed with one of his three goals in
the match to make it 8-6. Marko Vavic answered with a goal of his own for a 9-6
lead with 5:45 to play in the quarter. Italy then turned back to Francesco Di
Fulvio who scored back-to-back goals, two of his five on the day, to draw Italy
within one at 9-8 going to the fourth quarter.
Italy tied the game in the opening
minute of the fourth quarter but Irving came right back with a goal on a
difficult angle attack for a 10-9 lead. After Italy missed a penalty try off
the post, Obert went back to work scoring his second goal for an 11-9 edge with
5:22 to play. Luongo came back with a power play goal moments later for an
11-10 score. A few minutes after that the game was tied, thanks to a penalty
shot score from Di Fulvio for an 11-11 match with 2:22 to go. Italy took their
first lead of the game and connected for the game winner with 1:40 left as
Nicholas Presciutti converted on the rebound for a 12-11 lead. Last chances for
Team USA didn't convert and Italy took the comeback victory by one.
Team USA went 6/12 on power plays and
2/3 on penalties while Italy went 7/12 on power plays and 1/2 on penalties.
Scoring - Stats
USA 11 (4, 3, 2, 2) L. Cupido 2, A.
Bowen 2, M. Irving 2, A. Obert 2, J. Hooper 1, M. Vavic 1, H. Daube 1
ITA 12 (2, 3, 3, 4) F. Di Fulvio 5,
S. Luongo 3, P. Figlioli 2, N. Presciutti 2
Saves - USA - D. Holland 11 - ITA -
M. Del Lungo 13
6x5 - USA - 6/12 - ITA - 7/12
Penalties - USA - 2/3 - ITA - 1/2
Greg Mescall
Director of Communications, USA Water
Polo
Michael Phelps Teaches Swimming
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