The University of Redlands men's water polo team opened Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) competition on Saturday with a Homecoming contest against rival Whittier College at the Thompson Aquatic Center. In a back-and-forth contest that ultimately went to overtime, the Bulldogs came up short in a heartbreaking 11-12 decision to the Poets.
The teams battled it out in a very close game that saw Redlands take a small 6-5 lead after two periods.
However, the Poets forced a dead-even result at eight apiece through three stanzas during this defensive-heavy competition.
In the final period, the teams traded one score each, as Bulldog senior center David Sekula (LaGrange, IL) provided the game-tying netter to force the overtime.
Watch the goal here.
Whittier nabbed a slight edge at 11-10 in the first extra frame, which proved to be the difference, as both squads found the back of the net only once in the second overtime.
Sekula paced the Maroon and Gray offense with a hat trick, while junior center-defender Jake Funk (Fremont, CA), senior driver Michael Robinson (Corona, CA), and freshman center Matthew Shippen (Santa Maria, CA) each fired off two netters. Junior center John Koning (Poway, CA) and senior center Tommy Hartwig (Vista, CA) both scored once for the Bulldogs.
Sophomore goalkeeper Chris Sekula (LaGrange, IL) performed admirably between the pipes, amassing 10 saves in the extended contest.
The Bulldogs (4-16, 0-1 SCIAC) take to the road for their next two contests, beginning with Wednesday's showdown with the Panthers of Chapman University at 4 p.m. in Orange. Fans may follow the action through Chapman's live stream at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/chapman/.
