Adrian Weinberg leads U.S. men’s water polo into Olympic semifinals
Former Oaks Christian star shines in goal as the U.S. beats Australia in a penalty shootout to reach its first Olympic semifinal since 2008
NANTERRE, France — Former Oaks Christian High star Adrian Weinberg made two blocks in a penalty shootout to help the United States beat Australia 11-10 on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the men’s water polo tournament at the Paris Olympics.
Hannes Daube and Alex Bowen each scored two goals in regulation as the U.S. reached the semifinals at the Olympics for the first time since 2008. Daube and Bowen also converted their penalty shots in the tiebreaker.
“It was exhausting,” U.S. attacker Marko Vavic said. “Both of us fighting for our country, each trying to get to the semifinal. It’s what we’ve been dreaming about since we were kids. Everyone put it down on the line.”
It was the third straight win for the U.S., which will play Serbia on Friday at Paris La Defense Arena. Serbia is trying to become the third men’s team to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals.
Croatia will face Hungary in the other semifinal. Croatia beat Spain 10-8 in the first quarterfinal of the day, and Hungary edged Italy 12-10 in another game that went to a penalty shootout.
Serbia advanced when captain Nikola Jaksic skipped home a perfect shot from deep with 3 seconds left, lifting his country to a 12-11 victory over Greece.
“We finally looked like the team that came here to win it,” Jaksic said. “We didn’t give up from the first to the last moment.”
Angelos Vlachopoulos had just tied the game for Greece with 6 seconds remaining.
“In this moment, I really hope this is a dream right now, just a nightmare and I will wake up and play again,” Greece’s Dimitrios Skoumpakis said. “Every guy on this team really tried a lot. We worked very hard, but this is the sport.”
The U.S. rallied after a tough sequence in the first quarter. Max Irving had a goal waved off when the game was stopped for a video review and U.S. attacker Johnny Hooper received a brutality foul, taking him out for the rest of the contest.
Luke Pavillard converted a penalty shot to give Australia a 3-1 lead. Australia also got a 4-minute power play that it turned into two more goals and a 5-2 advantage.
But the U.S. went ahead 6-5 when Daube scored with 6:03 left in regulation. After Pavillard scored two straight for Australia, Bowen’s man-up goal with 32 seconds remaining tied it at 7.
Irving also connected for the U.S. in the tiebreaker before Vavic closed it out for the U.S., beating Australia goaltender Nic Porter after they played together in college at Southern California.
“I didn’t even look at him until I went up to shoot,” Vavic said. “He was trying to eye me down and talk to me about the pressure before I got there.
“He was chirping me, but I just tried to keep my composure and luckily I stuck it.”
Pavillard scored four times for Australia in regulation on four shots. He also converted his penalty shot in the tiebreaker.
“Full credit to the U.S.,” Porter said. “They really pulled it out of the fire there. It was our game to win, and they snatched it from us for sure.”
Krisztian Manhercz scored five times for Hungary in its quarterfinal win, and Gergo Zalanki had three goals. Manhercz and Zalanki also made their penalty shots in the tiebreaker.
Francesco di Fulvio and Gonzalo Echenique each scored three goals in the loss. When it was over, Italy’s Nicholas Presciutti directed a middle finger toward Hungary’s players.