U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK

While the water polo competition was under way, perhaps a much more telling event was taking place in Barcelona.

There, the U.S. national team was on its way to its first major international tournament victory, which gives the players a major boost a year before the 1992 Summer Games.

Erich Fischer of Reedley, Calif., scored a goal with 1:17 left in overtime to propel the United States to a 7-6 victory over top-ranked Yugoslavia Sunday in the FINA Cup championship. The seventh FINA Cup is one of three major events in water polo. The others are the Olympics and World Championships. The United States had never won any of them, finishing second to Yugoslavia in the 1984 and ’88 Olympics.

Sunday, Yugoslavia led, 4-2, after three quarters and 5-3 with three minutes to play, but the United States rallied.

Mike Evans of Ontario scored on a power play with 13 seconds left in regulation to tie the score, 5-5.

The winner came on a counterattack when goalie Craig Wilson threw a solid pass to Fischer, who eluded two defenders and scored on a lob shot that floated into the net.