Fukuoka, Japan - July 21 - The USA Men's National Team ended group play with a 14-15 loss to Greece.
Max Irving scored a game-high six goals and
Hannes Daube added four for the United States as
Adrian Weinberg notched 8 saves in the cage. Team USA faces Canada tomorrow night in the Round of 16 at 10:00pm pt (July 22)/1:00am et (July 23). Live stats are available via Total Water Polo by
clicking here.
The two sides went back and forth in the opening quarter as Daube, Irving, and
Ryder Dodd cashed in for Team USA opposite three scores from Greece to head to the second period tied 3-3. An exclusion against Greece opened the second quarter and Daube converted, beginning a dominant period for the Americans. From there, Irving scored the next three for Team USA before Daube and
Ben Hallock closed the quarter with a pair of goals. Konstantinos Genidounias had one of his four goals for Greece in the quarter and the United States led 9-4 at halftime.
Genidounias had another on a penalty shot to begin the second half before over four minutes without a goal. The Greeks scored again with 3:53 to play in the period and the teams traded goals from there. Daube scored another on a man advantage and
Alex Bowen entered the score sheet with a five meter penalty strike while Greece put home two to cut the deficit to three after three, 11-8. The game began to get away from Team USA in the final frame. Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis started the scoring in the fourth and Irving followed with yet another for the Americans. Genidounias answered with a penalty shot before Hallock picked up his second score of the contest for a three goal cushion. Greece turned it up in the final four minutes, scoring three straight to tie the score prior to Irving registering his sixth goal to give Team USA its last lead with 1:26 left. Efstathios Kalogeropoulos leveled on the next possession and the game was hanging in the balance. With :12 left,
Luca Cupido was whistled for an exclusion, setting up a Greek power play. Alexandros Papanastasiou took advantage with his fourth goal on the right side from about three meters out with just :01 on the clock and Team USA lost, 14-15.
The United States went 3/7 on power plays and 3/3 on penalties while Greece went 2/7 on power plays and 3/3 on penalties.
Scoring -
Stats
USA 14 (3, 6, 2, 3) M. Irving 6, H. Daube 4, B. Hallock 2, A. Bowen 1, R. Dodd 1
GRE 15 (3, 1, 4, 7) K. Genidounias 4, A. Papanastasiou 4, S. Argyropoulos 3, K. Gkiouvetsis 2, E. Kalogeropoulos 2
Saves - USA - A. Weinberg 8 - GRE - E. Zerdevas 5
6x5 - USA - 3/7 - GRE - 2/7
Penalties - USA - 3/3 - GRE - 3/3
