Some Spice Added to USC-UCLA Rivalry

As if the USC-UCLA rivalry needs extra incentive.

The cross-town feud seems to have existed forever, but the rivalry will be directly measured this school year with a point system that scores all head-to-head contests.

Football players will hypothetically root for steeplechase runners. Basketball players could find themselves cheering at tennis matches, all because of the Lexus Gauntlet Challenge.

Success in football, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball will be worth 10 points toward the standings. Each school will earn five points if the season series is split in the latter three sports.

Sports such as water polo, swimming and soccer are worth five points a season; the schools each earning 2.5 points if they split. If one of the schools does not field a sport, no points are awarded.

USC football Coach Pete Carroll said it would be “fun to share the competition with all the sports.” He also believes that athletes from all sports will start paying attention to the running score.

“Particularly near the end of the school year,” Carroll said. “I think you’ll see a lot of interest in baseball and track.”

USC scored the first five points with a three-game sweep of the Bruins in women’s volleyball on Sept. 21.

“Every team will have been involved along the way ... unfortunately we didn’t do our share,” UCLA Coach Andy Banachowski said. “We’ve got to get ourselves together and even things up next time.”

UCLA would have won the series last year, 53.25-50.75.

Mike Bresnahan

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Long Beach State moved ahead of Nebraska into the No.1 spot in the national women’s volleyball poll.

The 49ers defeated top-ranked Nebraska in four games on Sept. 1 but had remained at No.2, with some coaches citing Nebraska’s strength of schedule.

Long Beach State (9-0) defeated No.4 Stanford last week.

Mike Bresnahan

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With a former UCLA player at the helm, Loyola Marymount has finally ended its futility against the Bruins in men’s soccer.

The Lions defeated UCLA for the first time in 12 meetings Sunday, posting a 1-0 victory in Westwood, extending their winning streak to six games and giving fourth-year Coach Paul Krumpe his first win over his alma mater in three tries.

Arturo Torres’ first-half goal on a pass from Andres Murriagui proved the difference for Loyola Marymount (6-3), which had been 0-11 against UCLA, ranked 11th in the nation.

Goalkeeper Dan Sheridan posted his fourth shutout in six games. The victory earned the Lions a No. 16 ranking, their first appearance in the national poll.

Murriagui tied a Loyola Marymount record Friday with four goals-all in the first half-in a 5-2 victory over Cal State Los Angeles. Murriagui, who set a school record for goals in a half, was selected West Coast Conference player of the week.

Rob Fernas

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If there was any question about who’s No. 1 in college water polo, Stanford effectively provided the answer last weekend.

The top-ranked Cardinal (4-0) rolled into Los Angeles and dispatched No. 2 USC on Saturday, 10-5, and No. 3 UCLA on Sunday, 10-6. Tony Azevado, a freshman from Long Beach Wilson High and a member of the U.S. national team, scored three goals in each victory.

USC (3-1) and UCLA (4-1) will settle who’s No. 2 when they meet in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game at noon Saturday at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, UCLA’s home pool.

Rob Fernas

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Cal State Fullerton, fresh off its victory in the first Big West men’s soccer game in 10 years, will play No. 3 St. John’s on Friday and No. 10 Rutgers on Sunday in a tournament at Rutgers.

The Big West is sanctioning men’s soccer for the first time since 1991.

Fullerton (3-2-1), Cal State Northridge (5-2-0), UC Santa Barbara (4-2-1), UC Irvine (3-3-2), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (1-3-1) and UC Riverside (0-7-1) are participating.

Forward Hector Orellana, a sophomore from East Los Angeles, scored the decisive goal in the Titans’ 2-0 victory over UC Riverside last week.