H.B.’s Bonanni leads USA to win

The USA Water Polo Men’s National Team and Italy completed their three-game exhibition series Sunday with Team USA taking a 9-7 victory at the Uytengsu Aquatic Center at USC.

Bret Bonanni of Huntington Beach (Mater Dei/Stanford) posted two goals in the win, which gave Team USA a 2-0-1 series record. Bonanni’s second goal broke a tie and gave Team USA, which went up, 7-6, with 3:19 left in the third quarter, the lead for good.

In the opening match of the series, the teams played to a 10-10 draw on Dec. 28 at Newport Harbor High, and Team USA won the second meeting, 11-10, at Pomona-Pitzer College on Dec. 30. Bonanni netted three goals in the 10-10 game.

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Local players fill USA polo rosters

Huntington Beach athletes are included on rosters for three USA National Teams competing in the USA Water Polo Men’s National League which starts Sunday at Segerstrom High.

The three USA teams — Red, White, and Blue, will be joined by four club teams — the New York Athletic Club, the Olympic Club, International Water Polo Club and Alumni Water Polo Club, in National League competition.

Huntington players named to the 2015 National League USA team rosters:

USA Red (Head coach: Alex Rodriguez): Alex Wolf (goalie, Huntington Beach High/Huntington Beach Water Polo Club); Jacob Cavano (attacker, Huntington Beach High/Vanguard Aquatics).

USA White (Head coach: Jack Kocur): Bret Bonanni (attacker, Mater Dei/Stanford); Kent Inuoue (attacker, UCLA/Regency Water Polo Club).

USA Blue (Head coach: Brett Ormsby): Patrick Saunders (goalie, Huntington Beach High/Vanguard Aquatics).

For more information on the National League including schedules and competition locations, visit https://www.usawaterpolo.org.

— From staff reports