On Friday night, the University of Redlands men's water polo team played its first home game in more than four weeks, taking on Connecticut College in a non-conference showdown. While erupting for the highest number of goals for a second time this season, the Bulldogs reveled in their home-pool advantage against the Camels en route to a solid 18-5 victory.
Junior driver Michael Robinson (Corona, CA) dominated the opening period for the Maroon and Gray by netting three of the team's first four goals. With the Bulldogs leading by a score of 4-1, senior center Grant Harrington (Poway, CA) capped off the strong start by finding the back of the net with less than a minute left for a 5-1 advantage.
Redlands exploded in the second quarter with a 7-1 run. Seven different Bulldogs recorded netters, with senior center Clint Freeman (Brentwood, CA) leading the way with two goals against the Camel defense.
The Bulldogs continued to apply defensive pressure into the second half of the match, which allowed great offensive opportunities for Redlands. Senior driver Quinn Curl (San Mateo, CA) capitalized when he registered his second goal of the night to make it 14-2.
Freshman center Taylor Althaus (Alta Loma, CA), sophomore center-defender Jake Funk (Fremont, CA), and freshman driver Alex Phillips (Anaheim, CA) finalized the Bulldogs' dominant win with one goal apiece during the final frame.
Redlands looked to a trio of goalkeepers to successfully patrol the cage, with senior Tyler Abbott (Alta Loma, CA), sophomore Christian Jamison (San Bernardino, CA), and Chris Sekula (LaGrange, IL) all contributing important saves in the victory.
After this outstanding win, the Maroon and Gray looks forward to opening Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play on Wednesday, October 16, when the team travels to rival Occidental College for 4 p.m. bout with the Tigers.
