Courtesy: USC Athletics
For the first time this season, USC men’s water polo has swept the MPSF weekly awards, with two first-timers on the honor roll in MPSF Player of the Week Andrej Grgurevic and MPSF Newcomer of the Week Bernardo Herzer. The two Trojans were instrumental in a key conference victory over the weekend, as No. 4 USC beat No. 3 Stanford 10-6.
MPSF Player of the Week Andrej Grgurevic tied his career high with three goals on four shots in the crucial Trojan win over the Cardinal. Grgurevic scored USC’s first two goals of the game, and his third came as USC’s final goal of the solid 10-6 win over the Cardinal. Grgurevic’s three-goal effort was just his second multiple-goal game this season. He also had a steal in the Trojans’ win. This is Grgurevic’s first MPSF Player of the Week pick, and he is the second Trojan to earn the honor this season, joining Max Miller. Grgurevic was selected an MPSF Newcomer of the Week last season as a true freshman.
Redshirt sophomore goalie Bernardo Herzer, meanwhile, set a new career high for himself with 14 saves in beating the Cardinal. The MPSF Newcomer of the Week also nabbed two steals in the victory while helping to anchor USC’s defense, which shut out the Cardinal for 11 minutes. The 14-save outing marked Herzer’s second straight double-digit save effort, and the sixth of his USC career. Stanford’s six goals scored marked a season low total for the Cardinal. Herzer is the second Trojan to be named MPSF Newcomer of the Week this season, following true freshman Zach Bettino.
Grgurevic, Herzer and the Trojans host their final regular-season game of the year this weekend when crosstown rival UCLA comes to Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Trojans will celebrate Senior Day before squaring off against the Bruins at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 11).