By In his second season with the 49ers, men’s water polo coach Gavin Arroyo was named co-Coach of the Year by the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Arroyo was given the honor after leading the team to a 17-15 record and an 8th place finish in the national polls.
The record is a 6-game improvement from last season, when the team went 11-17.
After spending two seasons as an assistant coach with California, Arroyo came to Long Beach State. In his two seasons, Arroyo has compiled a record of 28-32. Along with the award, which Arroyo shared with UC Irvine coach Marc Hunt, four of Arroyo’s athletes were named to all-MPSF teams.
Senior goalie Steve MacKenzie was named third team all-MPSF, after a season in which he led all goalies in saves per game, with 9.82. MacKenzie recorded 275 saves, which is the third-best single season mark for a 49er all-time. He is also fifth all-time for LBSU, with 531 career goalie saves.
Seniors Travis Buchanan and Clint Wilson and junior Jake Kinne also earned honorable mentions. Buchanan tallied a personal-best 13 goals and Wilson had 25, which was fifth-best on the team. Kinne, who transferred this season to LBSU from Long Beach City College, scored 39 goals, finishing third on the squad.
These honors come after the 49ers closed out the season by losing five straight in the MPSF. The team went 2-6 in conference play, losing four by just one goal. Its losing streak was capped off by a come-from-behind win by the No. 6-ranked Pepperdine Waves.
The 49ers came into the MPSF Tournament with a record of 17-12 and faced No. 1-ranked California in Berkeley. LBSU dropped the match 11-7, which knocked the 49ers into the consolation bracket with UCLA.
Facing the Bruins the next day, the 49ers fell again, 13-9. The match was tied 8-8 at the end of regulation before UCLA, which came in ranked No. 4 in the country, outscored LBSU 5-1 in overtime.
The loss to Pepperdine in the seventh place game was the last for many players with the team. Along with goalie MacKenzie, Buchanan and Wilson, senior Reid Tomassi ended his run with LBSU.
Tomassi finished with 45 goals, good for second on the team, and his 171 career goals rank fifth on the all-time 49er scoring chart. He scored at least 40 goals in each of his season and holds the 49er freshman record with 51, set in 2003.
