USA Men Fall To Italy, Place Second At 2023 World Aquatics World Cup Qualifier

Courtesy: USA Water Polo

Zagreb, Croatia – March 14 – The Team USA Men wrapped up play at the 2023 World Aquatics World Cup qualifier earlier today, falling to Italy 16-10. Ben Hallock led Team USA with three goals, Tyler Abramson put home two scores, and Adrian Weinberg recorded ten saves. Team USA finished play in Croatia with a 3-2 record to take second place overall and joins Italy and Croatia in securing spots for the World Aquatics World Cup coming up this June in Los Angeles.

Team USA started aggressively on offense, earning a penalty shot on the opening possession that was successfully converted by Hannes Daube. Six minutes later, Italy knotted things up via a redirect goal from Edoardo Di Somma. With thirty seconds to play, the Italians earned a penalty shot but were sent away by Adrian Weinberg to keep the score level at 1-1.

The United States got a quick goal to start the second quarter when Luca Cupido fired one past Marco Del Lungo for a score. Just about midway through the period, Vicenzo Renzuto Iodice found the back of the net to tie things up at 2-2. Di Somma followed that up with a power play goal to give Italy its first lead of the day. The next trip up the pool, team captain Ben Hallock put a beautiful lob pass from Cupido into the cage before Gonzalo Echenique went cross cage on a counter attack to regain a one-goal lead for the Italians. Renzuto Iodice added another score before the break to give Italy a 5-3 advantage at halftime.

Di Somma opened the third period with his third and fourth goals of the contest for Italy. After three minutes without another score, Vincenzo Dolce converted a man-up advantage to earn an 8-3 lead for Italy. Team USA got on the board in the period from a penalty shot goal by Ben Stevenson. The Italians picked up another penalty attempt late and Francesco Di Fulvio sent it in for a 9-4 lead after three.

Filippo Ferrero began the final frame with the tenth score for Italy and Lorenzo Bruni followed that up with the eleventh to increase the margin to seven. Hallock had an answer for the United States with his second score but Luca Marziali joined the scorebook with another for Italy on the very next chance. Halfway through the period, Jake Ehrhardt and Tyler Abramson got in on the action for the Americans to make the score 12-7. Late in the fourth, Chase Dodd skipped one home before Marziali added another. Hallock recorded a hat trick down the stretch and then Di Somma and Ferrero added two more. Abramson scored once more before Nicholas Presciutti set the final score, 16-10 in favor of Italy.

Scoring – Stats via World Aquatics

• USA 10 (1, 2, 1, 6) B. Hallock 3, T. Abramson 2, L. Cupido 1, H. Daube 1, C. Dodd 1, J. Ehrhardt 1, B. Stevenson 1
• ITA 16 (1, 4, 4, 7) E. Di Somma 5, V. Renzuto Iodice 2, F. Ferrero 2, L. Marziali 2, G. Echenique 1, V. Dolce 1, F. Di Fulvio 1, L. Bruni 1, N. Presciutti 1
• Penalties: USA 2/4, ITA 2/3
• 6-on-5: USA 4/12, ITA 5/8
• Saves: USA 10 (Weinberg 10), ITA 9 (Del Lungo 9)