Loyola Marymount Receives Berth in Men’s Soccer Playoffs

Loyola Marymount achieved two milestones in two days when its men’s soccer team was selected Monday for the NCAA playoffs for the first time, a day after the men’s water polo team qualified for its first appearance in the NCAA championships. The Lions open the 48-team soccer playoffs Friday against UCLA at the University of San Diego. The winner plays San Diego on Sunday.

Loyola, which has played men’s soccer since 1965, is among five West Coast Conference teams in the tournament. The others are San Diego, Santa Clara, Portland and Gonzaga.

UCLA, Stanford, Washington and California were selected from the Pac-10. Santa Barbara, the Big West champion, did not receive an at-large berth.

Loyola’s water polo team advanced to the four-team championships Dec. 1-2 at Stanford by defeating UC San Diego, 4-2, in the final of the Western Water Polo Assn. tournament Sunday at Loyola.

Kevin Witt scored two goals and Kris Barr and Stephen Lipinski each had one for the Lions.

Kevin Paulsen had 13 saves for Loyola, which has played men’s water polo since 1986.

The winner of the Eastern-based Collegiate Water Polo Assn. and the winner of this weekend’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament at Cal will earn berths in the championships. One at-large team also will be selected.