European Club Results (Men)
Italian Cup, Final Eight
Pro Recco 18 - 5 Telimar
For the second time this season, Pro Recco ran over Telimar. Telimar started well, taking the lead twice in the first two minutes, but Recco didn't wait long to build a big lead. The European champion produced a 6-0 run to earn a 7-2 advantage early in the second quarter. Pro Recco maintained the difference until the middle break and started dominating again in the third quarter to secure the big win. Team USA attacker Max Irving scored one for Telimar in the contest.
Posillipo 11 - 15 Ortigia
Ortigia got off to an excellent start and after less than three minutes, the Sicilians led 3-0. Posillipo was able to come back by reducing the gap step-by-step and trailed by one at halftime. Posillipo equalized in its first possession of the second half, then Ortigia regained the lead before Posillipo went ahead again in the middle of the third quarter (8-7). Ortigia took control in the following minutes. The Sicilians scored four unanswered goals by the end of the third period. In the middle of the final frame, Ortigia had a 6-goal advantage (14-8) and there was no drama as to the result. Team USA attackers Ben Stevenson and Tyler Abramson scored twice and once, respectively, for Posillipo.
Italian Cup, Semifinal
Pro Recco 12 - 6 Savona
Savona continued its losing streak in matches against Pro Recco. Savona hasn't beaten Recco since the second match of the 2011 Italian League final. Since then, most of the games have been one-sided contests. The duel in Genoa was no different. The European champion had an 8-1 lead in the 15th minute and the second half was a mere formality. Team USA center Ben Hallock notched two goals for Pro Recco.
Italian Cup, Final
Pro Recco 12 - 8 Ortigia
Pro Recco scored in its first possession and built a 3-1 lead by the end of the first period. From that point on, Recco was always in front, but Ortigia managed to come very close a few times. Recco got a 3-0 run in the second for a 6-2 lead and led 6-3 at halftime. Pro Recco maintained a 3-goal lead until the end of the third period when the Sicilians cut the deficit to one. After the last break, Recco dominated. Back-to-back goals gave the European champion a 10-7 lead. Three minutes before the end, Ortigia converted a penalty shot for 8-10, but Recco closed the match with two power-play goals for a 12-8 win and the club's 10th Italian Cup in a row.
Hungarian Domestic League, Day 16/17
Kaposvary 14 - 13 PVSK
Kaposvary produced a big comeback to beat PVSK. PVSK had a four-goal lead two minutes before the last break, but the rhythm of the game changed quickly. Kaposvary took control and scored five goals in a row to go ahead 13-12 in the 29th minute. Just 20 seconds before the end, PVSK leveled at 13-13 before Kaposvary beat the buzzer in the very last second for a 14-13 victory.
Kaposvary 4 - 20 Ferencvaros
Greek Domestic League, Day 19/20
Vouliagmeni 13 - 4 Ethnikos
Vouliagmeni beat Ethnikos 13-4. Team USA center Matt Farmer scored two while Team USA defender Dylan Woodhead added one of his own.
Peristeri 9 - 8 Panionios
Team USA goalkeeper Drew Holland and Peristeri led throughout the game and entered the final frame with a 9-5 advantage. Panionios tried to come back after the last break and cut the deficit to one with 3:38 left on the clock. Nobody found the net for the remainder of the contest and Peristeri earned the points with a narrow win.
Vouliagmeni 11 - 5 Panathinaikos
Peristeri 8 - 17 Olympiacos
French Domestic League, Day 14
Noisy-le-Sec 16 - 9 Aix-en-Provence
Noisy-le-Sec recorded a convincing win over Aix-en-Provence. The first quarter of the match in Paris was balanced (3-3). Noisy scored five unanswered goals in the second quarter and added one shortly after the middle break to build a 9-3 lead. There was no way back for Aix. Team USA attacker Alex Bowen found the back of the net once for Noisy.
Marseille 14 - 8 Montpellier
Marseille returned to the winning track against Montpellier. Marseille was almost always in front (the visitors leveled just twice, 1-1 & 2-2) and built a 6-goal lead bit by bit. Team USA attacker Hannes Daube scored one in Marseille's 14-8 win.
Spanish Domestic League, Day 15
Barcelona 6 - 8 Sabadell
Sabadell earned a huge advantage in the first half and didn't let Barcelona come back. Sabadell, the visiting team in this game, ruled the field in the first half and had a 5-goal lead (6-1). Midway through the third period, Barcelona came closer (3-6), however, Sabadell controlled the game. In the 23rd minute, the visitors regained a 5-goal advantage. Barcelona scored the last three goals in the game, but didn't endanger Sabadell's victory.
Mataro 12 - 14 Rubi
Rubi beat 5th-placed Mataro in a penalty shootout. Rubi started excellently. In the sixth minute, it led 5-1. After many twists and turns in the middle two quarters, Rubi had a 10-8 lead before the final frame. The hosts could not find the net in the final eight minutes. Mataro leveled at 10-10 and prolonged the match into a shootout. Rubi emerged as the winner amidst the drama with a 14-12 victory.
Mediterrani 5 - 15 Barceloneta
European Club Results (Women)
Women's Champions League Quarterfinals, 2nd Leg
Sabadell 10 - 13 SIS Roma
Led by the incredible six-goal performance of Sofia Giustini, the Italians pulled an unlikely win out of the bag. Ultimately though, Roma will regret not putting up a stronger fight in the first leg, as their 15-10 loss there proved to be extremely costly in the end as Sabadell advanced on aggregate.
With ground to make up, Roma started the match with good energy, but Sabadell had the advantage on the scoreboard (3-2). The second quarter showed more of the same. Monetarily, Roma were level on the night (4-4), but Sabadell flipped the switch and took back the lead, (6-4). A determined Roma squad never gave up and Sofia Giustini attempted to give Roma the victory on the night. Three goals in the third pulled her team level to 6-6, 7-7, and then to within one at 9-8. Three straight goals in the final frame completely changed the complexion of the game. Sabadell couldn't conjure anything in attack. Team USA attacker Maggie Steffens eventually put one home, but strikes inside the last two minutes secured a brilliant result on the night for the Romans.
Upcoming Schedule
LEN Champions League, Main Round
Group B (February 28)
Marseille vs. Sabadell at 2pm et/11am pt
Group A (March 1)
Vouliagmeni vs. Olympiacos at 12pm et/9am pt
Pro Recco vs. Barceloneta at 3pm et/12pm pt
Calendar
Day 1: November 15/16, 2022
Day 2: November 29/30, 2022
Day 3: December 13/14, 2022
Day 4: December 20/21, 2022
Day 5: January 10/11, 2023
Day 6: January 24/25, 2023
Day 7: February 7/8, 2023
Day 8: February 17/18, 2023
Day 9: February 28/March 1, 2023
Day 10: March 21/22, 2023
Day 11: April 4/5, 2023
Day 12: April 25/26, 2023
Day 13: May 12/13, 2023
Day 14: May 23/24, 2023
Women's Champions League, Final Four (March 31-April 1)
Sabadell vs. Ekipe Orizzonte
Information via total-waterpolo.com
