Briefs: USA men fourth at World Cup

By From staff reports

Aug. 28, 2014 5:20 AM PT

The USA Water Polo Men’s Senior National Team, which includes Nolan McConnell of Laguna Beach, finished in fourth place at the FINA World Cup at Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Team USA placed fourth after falling, 8-6, in the bronze medal game Sunday to Croatia.

McConnell scored once Saturday, his goal giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead in an eventual 7-5 semifinal loss to Hungary.

Bret Bonanni (Mater Dei High/Stanford) of Huntington Beach was the top scorer for the tournament with 13 goals.

Bonanni scored twice during an 11-9 shootout win against Australia Aug. 22 that sent Team USA on to the semifinal round. Bonanni previously scored a game-high five goals in an 11-9 loss Aug. 21 to Serbia.

Team USA went 3-3 at the World Cup, scoring wins over South Africa (19-1), Montenegro (11-7) and Australia (11-9).

2014 USA Men’s FINA World Cup roster (hometown/school): Nolan McConnell (attacker, Laguna Beach/Long Beach St.); Bret Bonanni (attacker, Huntington Beach, Stanford); Luca Cupido (attacker, Newport Beach/Newport Harbor High); McQuin Baron (goalie, North Tustin/Mater Dei High); Merrill Moses (goalie, Palos Verdes/Pepperdine); Conner Cleary (defender, Goleta/Stanford); Alex Obert (center, Stockton/Pacific); Alex Bowen (attacker Santee/Stanford); Josh Samuels (attacker, Villa Park/UCLA); Michael Rosenthal (attacker, Miami, FL./USC); John Mann (center Newport Beach/California); Jesse Smith (utility, Coronado/Pepperdine); Ryder Roberts (attacker, Vista/UCLA); Head Coach: Dejan Udovicic.

Whitney Pavlik of Laguna Beach and teammate Heather Hughes (Redondo Beach) were among the women’s teams scheduled to compete at the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Cincinnati Open in Ohio.

The tournament began Thursday and runs through Sunday .

Pavlik and Hughes are coming off an equal-third place finish at the 55th annual Manhattan Beach Open Aug. 17.

After the Cincinnati Open, the 2014 AVP tour makes a stop in New Jersey for the Atlantic City Open Sept. 5-7, before it ends with the AVP Championships Sept. 18-21 at the Huntington Beach Pier.