The third-seeded University of Redlands men's water polo team took on No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges in Saturday's semifinal match-up of the 2013 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships early this afternoon. In an incredibly tight contest, the Bulldogs suffered a difficult 12-13 defeat to the Stags, sending the Maroon and Gray to Sunday's third-place showdown.
After CMS nabbed a quick 2-0 advantage, junior driver Michael Robinson (Corona, CA) netted the first goal for the U of R to make it a one-score game. After a pair of netters by the Stags, Robinson then answered again by capturing his second goal of the opening frame. Moments later, senior driver Quinn Curl (San Mateo, CA) rifled his first score, cutting the Bulldogs' deficit to one.
CMS opened the second stanza with another goal, but Redlands' senior center Clint Freeman (Brentwood, CA) and sophomore driver John Koning (Poway, CA) combined for two netters, tying the game at five apiece.
The teams continued to trade offensive punches, as Robinson fired a shot past the Stag goalkeeper to even the count once again with three seconds to go in the first half.
The tight score continued through the third period until CMS fired off three consecutive goals to take an 11-8 lead with 2:41 remaining. The Bulldogs rallied with a 3-1 run to end the frame, with Freeman, Curl, and junior center-defender David Sekula (LaGrange, IL) uncorking scores for Redlands.
With the tally at 12-11 in favor of the Stags at the start of the final period, the teams battled through a defensive stretch, with each team finding the back of the net only once in eight minutes of action, resulting in the Bulldogs' loss.
Senior goalkeeper Tyler Abbott (Alta Loma, CA) provided a solid effort in the Maroon and Gray's cage, accumulating 10 saves in the match. Freeman once again led the offense, scoring five goals against the Stags.
Redlands squares off with Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Sunday's third-place match at 1 p.m., while CMS faces Whittier College in the championship bout at 2:30 p.m. Fans may follow the excitement of the 2013 SCIAC Men's Water Polo Championships through live web-streaming at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/chapman.portal.
