While competing in front of the friendly crowd at the Thompson Aquatic Center for the first time since October 1, the University of Redlands men's water polo team put on an exciting display against the visiting Chapman University Panthers on Wednesday evening.  After six knotted scores, the Bulldogs uncorked a three-goal scoring spurt that provided the difference in the 9-8 victory.

Tied at six apiece, Redlands nabbed a 9-6 lead early in the fourth period, with sophomore center Matt Shippen (Santa Maria, CA) bookending the 3-0 run.  Junior driver Zac Polmanteer (Long Beach, CA) also contributed a well-timed goal during this Maroon and Gray rally. 

But, the Panthers refused to go away, finding the back of the net on two more occasions through the 1:58-mark of the final frame.

Following timeouts by each team, Chapman orchestrated one final play with hopes of forcing overtime. 

However, junior goalkeeper Chris Sekula (LaGrange, IL) kept the ball out of the net with one of his seven saves for the match, preserving the important Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) win for the Bulldogs.

Polmanteer led the Redlands offense with a hat trick, while Shippen and junior center-defender Mark Zikov (La Quinta, CA) recorded two goals apiece.  Sophomore driver Kevin Chapa (Carlsbad, CA) and senior center John Koning (Poway, CA) added one score each.

Redlands (10-11) looks forward to hosting Caltech on Saturday, October 24, at 11 a.m., before enjoying the annual alumni game during Homecoming at 2 p.m.