The men’s water polo team has had a fantastic season so far, with a record of 13-5 and a perfect conference record of 8-0. This remarkable record has allowed them to clinch the top seed in the East Division.

The Vikings are preparing to face off against the University of California in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship on Nov. 22. While the team is currently on a nine-game winning streak with eight of those matches being played in conference, they say it is important not to let past success and results distract them from their goal ahead. 

“It’s a little rough sometimes, I’ll admit,” First-Year Cole Faux said. “All of us have our ideals on what we want to do. The easiest way is we all have that one major goal: winning nationals. So as long as everyone has those goals in mind, and we keep it by just reminding each other that this is our main goal, you can try to get your records, but our main goal is a win.”

This is not an unfamiliar spot for the Vikings, who have done well in the championship for many years. Last year, the Vikings placed first in the East Division championship before falling to Southern California University in the finals. The team hopes to apply their experience from previous years to have a stronger postseason this time around and bring the same energy they had in the previous years. 

“I think we’re comfortable with where we are,” Coach Ryan Pryor said. “I don’t know if our approach has changed, but we’ve won the last two league championships. So we have experience being in this situation. We know how to continue improving and reaching our more ambitious goals.”

It is essential for the team to play at its best when it has an opportunity to play in the postseason. Although the team averages 31.1 shots per game with an average of 14 goals per game, players like Faux still want to improve their offensive skills to ensure they are well-prepared for California. 

“I want to try to improve on my shot selection just when I take shots because it’s always good to put the ball into the net, so it would be good to get some goals in,” Faux said. “Also, I want to improve on just encouraging the whole team to score.”

In a tournament setting, teams may encounter tactics they have never faced before. While that may be a challenge for some teams, the Vikings build their practices around flexible game strategies and different drills to ensure each player is ready.

“We instead try to teach our players how to react on the fly to different looks,” Pryor said. “So the hope is that by this point in the season, they can make those adjustments within our system based on how the other team is playing. So I feel good about where we are right now, and I think we’ll be able to perform well.”

Maintaining a high level of competitiveness and strong performances throughout a long season can be challenging for the team, especially considering the extra traveling the Vikings must do. They will have to travel more than 1,800 miles for the game against California, which could impact how they play on Friday. 

“We’re so far away from every other team, so it’s really hard to meet all of these teams that are all over the country and trying to go to them,” Faux said. “So it’s a little hard to go find all the other teams to play. I would say traveling is a little rough, so it’s a little rough to adapt.”

Ultimately, the team knows how well they can play and the potential they can bring to each game. Throughout the season, the team has taken some key takeaways from each game that have helped them succeed with each game forward. 

First-year Trentin Lechleitner has played in 16 matches this year and has contributed seven goals and 12 assists. Despite being an underclassman on a team with many upperclassmen and experience, Lechleitner recognizes the need to move on past moments that might not go the Vikings’ way. 

“There’s no room for error,” Lechleitner said. “If we make a mistake, if they score the first goal, we just have to bounce back. We know that we will be a heavily contested team and have a chance to win the national championship if we put everything in place that day.”

The squad’s season is starting to finish up, with the championship on Nov. 22. They will also compete in the USA Division Three national tournament on December 7 and 8, hoping to improve on their fourth-place finish last season.