The University of Redlands men's water polo team opened up Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play against Occidental College in Eagle Rock on Wednesday night, thrashing the Tigers on the road, 17-6.
The Maroon and Gray unleashed a huge first quarter, scoring six goals en route to taking a 6-2 advantage. The Bulldogs extended the lead in the second stanza with five more scores and led 11-5 at halftime.
A strong defensive effort by the entire team helped the Bulldogs tack on three more goals while allowing none in the third quarter. In the fourth, Redlands notched a trio of scores to finish off the Tigers in the 11-goal victory.
Senior center Clint Freeman (Brentwood, CA) led the way for the Maroon and Gray with five goals on the evening, while senior driver Quinn Curl (San Mateo, CA) provided three. In addition, junior center Tommy Hartwig (Vista, CA) and sophomore driver John Koning (Poway, CA) each added two scores to contribute to Redlands' offensive display.
Not only was the U of R offense hitting on all cylinders, but the defensive pressure was consistent throughout the match. Bulldog senior goalkeeper Tyler Abbott (Alta Loma, CA) registered four saves in the SCIAC triumph.
In their opening match in SCIAC play, nine different Bulldog players got in on the scoring action throughout the entirety of the game.
The Maroon and Gray (12-10, 1-0 SCIAC) plays next at Whittier College on Saturday at 11 a.m. Later that afternoon, Redlands will host its annual Alumni Game at 3 p.m.
