Newland needs two more wins

The UC Irvine men’s water polo team will attempt to nudge their

coach, Ted Newland, closer to another milestone when it opens the

season at the Triton Invitational Saturday in La Jolla.

Newland, 76, who leads all collegiate water polo coaches in

victories, needs two more wins to reach 700. He begins his 39th

season as UC Irvine’s head coach with a 698-331-5 career mark.

Newland, whose 21-year-old grandson Ty is on this season’s squad,

gained career victory No. 600 in La Jolla on Nov. 3, 1996, in a 14-6

win over UC San Diego. He is assisted again this season by Marc Hunt

and Pat Glasgow.

In group play Saturday, the Anteaters, who finished 12-17 with a

No. 10 national ranking last season, face the University of La Verne

at 10:30 a.m. and the University of Redlands at 6 p.m. Sunday’s game

times will be based on Saturday’s results. Other teams competing

include host UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, Air Force,

Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier College.

Senior Dan Noon led the Anteaters with 67 goals last season, while

senior Rick Merlo (47), junior Nate White (21) and sophomore Tim

Hutten (15) also paced the scoring attack. Merlo was named second

team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and Noon earned

third-team honors. Junior driver Dreason Barry, who sat out last

season with a knee injury, returns after scoring 66 goals in 2002

when he was a third-team All-American.

Junior goalie Joe Wynne had 190 saves in 29 starts last season.