LONG BEACH STATE NOTEBOOK / JASON REID : Water Polo Team Trying to Rebound From Poor Season

Sometimes dreams exceed reality--and nightmares do too. Ken Lindgren knows so after his 20th season as the 49ers’ water polo coach, which was far more depressing than he thought possible.

Academic ineligibility, inexperience and injuries produced sloppy play and countless headaches for Lindgren. Long Beach’s record was 5-19, the worst of the team’s three consecutive losing seasons.

Lindgren, though, hasn’t suffered any lingering effects. He’s energized, focused and optimistic about season No. 21. And if Lindgren can persuade his players to maintain a similar outlook, maybe last season might eventually be remembered as a bad dream.

Long Beach (2-2) is ranked seventh by the College Water Polo Coaches Assn. The 49ers defeated Air Force and Navy and lost to Stanford and UC Irvine in the Southern California tournament last Saturday and Sunday at USC.

“[Last season] was something we couldn’t do anything about,” Lindgren said. “It was tough, but we did the best with what we had.”

Fortunately for Long Beach, Lindgren has more to work with this season.

Numerous health problems robbed the 49ers’ starting lineup of five projected starters for much of the season. What type of luck did Lindgren have? Consider: One starter suffered from a stress-related disorder that prompted doctors to recommend he give up competitive team sports.

Those losses might not have been as devastating if Lindgren had a veteran team. He didn’t.

However, Lindgren said the lessons many of the newcomers learned will pay off this season. The return of several veteran players also should help.

Kip Parsons, a standout offensive player, underwent surgery on his right shoulder before the season opener and missed what would have been his senior season. Parsons, a Villa Park High graduate, received a medical redshirt season from the NCAA. “I expect him to be a force,” Lindgren said.

Parsons was selected second-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation as a junior after scoring 55 goals. Parsons scored a team-high 42 goals as a sophomore.

Parsons leads Long Beach with nine goals. He paced the 49ers with four in each of their two tournament victories. Junior Tim Ault, an offensive player, and sophomore defender Greg Finley also contributed in the tournament and Lindgren hopes they continue to make an impact.

Finley led Long Beach with 45 goals as a freshman. Lindgren believes he’ll be even more effective on defense.

Junior goalkeeper Adam Lee certainly hopes so. Academically ineligible last season, Lee must excel for Long Beach to succeed. He made 29 saves in the tournament.

Despite the talent and his good vibes about the group, Lindgren isn’t making any bold predictions. He knows Long Beach isn’t a powerhouse . . . yet.

“With all the redshirts from last year, only three or four of our guys played together before,” Lindgren said. “It’s going to take a little while for us to get familiar with each other.”

OK, so what type of season does Lindgren expect?

‘I think we can be in the top five in the country,” Lindgren said. “Maybe that’s not realistic, but I think we can.”

*

Big night: Banners representing the four women’s volleyball national championships will be raised along with three retired numbers before an alumni match at the Pyramid tonight.

The championship banners are from 1972, ‘73, ’89 and ’93. The jersey numbers are 14, 2 and 7, belonging to former national players of the year Tara Cross, Danielle Scott and Antoinnette White.

The event is being called “Legends of the Fall.”