The ASU water polo team continues its 2010 season with a trip to Thousand Oaks, Calif., where it will compete in the Cal Lutheran Invitational this weekend.
The No. 6 Sun Devils (6-5) will play four games over the weekend, beginning with a quick rematch against No. 10 Cal State Northridge (11-4).
ASU defeated the Matadors 14-4 in last weekend’s matchup at the UC Irvine Invitational.
“It is a short week [to prepare], so their change will be limited,” ASU coach Todd Clapper said. “Part of [Northridge] will be focused on the opportunity to get a win and prepare for the end of the season. I think they will come out and be a little different.”
The Sun Devils face off against several nonconference opponents throughout the tournament.
“Our schedule is so competitive,” Clapper said. “It is nice to have a weekend to develop and try things in a game environment and to get younger players playing time.”
Immediately following their opening game on Saturday against the Matadors, the Sun Devils will battle Cal State East Bay (11-5).
“East Bay has had some nice wins this year, and they are getting competitive,” Clapper said. “For us, we think about running our game. Our speed is faster than most in the NCAA, and I do not expect that to be different against those teams.”
ASU’s third and final game on Saturday comes against Whittier (2-2), and the Sun Devils will then square off against Cal State Monterey Bay (3-13) and Pomona-Pitzer (1-5) on Sunday. With the exception of Northridge, ASU has little experience against its upcoming opponents.
“It is like any other tournament — we have a nice little challenge with us in the first two games because we play back-to-back,” Clapper said. “We are focused on us against nonconference teams, doing things right and running our systems properly.”
ASU’s early-season success has caused national attention. The Sun Devils climbed two sports in the CWPA Top 20 poll this week into the No. 6 spot.
“The rankings are nice pats on the back and are nice from the media standpoint,” Clapper said. “It is dangerous to put too much merit into it.
Complacency is not in Clapper’s vocabulary, as his Sun Devils will try to continue their climb up the rankings this coming weekend.
“One thing I like about this team is that the team appreciates those things, but it won’t stop them from coming and working every day,” Clapper said.
Reach the reporter at gregory.dillard@asu.edu
