Redlands Men's Water Polo Edges Chapman, 10-9, for Third Place in SCIAC
The University of Redlands men's water polo squared off against the Chapman University Panthers for the fifth time this season, with Sunday's meeting occurring in the third-place match of the 2015 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship Tournament in La Verne. The Bulldogs improved this year's record against the familiar foe to 4-1, earning a 10-9 victory for the third one-goal win of the campaign in the teams' final contest.
While never trailing in the hard-fought showdown, Redlands gained the edge with a strong start in the first period, tough defense throughout, and a three-goal outburst during the second half of the game.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-1 lead after eight minutes of action, as senior center John Koning (Poway, CA) initiated the scoring with back-to-back goals.
The teams proceeded to trade netters throughout the second stanza, leading to three tied scores, including four-all at the midway point of the contest. Sophomore center-defender Danny Hartwig (Vista, CA) and freshman center Billy Clifford (Redlands, CA) provided netters for the Maroon and Gray.
The game's back-and-forth fashion continued, until Redlands rallied to break a six-all tally with three-straight goals. Senior center-defender Nelson Glendinning (Philadelphia, PA) got things started with 2:08 left in the third frame, before junior center-defender Mark Zikov (La Quinta, CA) and Clifford completed the Bulldogs' five-minute hat trick.
Leading 9-6 with 5:49 left in the game, Redlands still had work to do, as junior goalkeeper Chris Sekula (LaGrange, IL) made four of his 11 saves during the final quarter.
Although Chapman managed three goals in the final stanza, Redlands gained the game-winner from sophomore center Matt Shippen (Santa Maria, CA) with 3:04 remaining and then held on for the win.
Redlands completes the 2015 season with a 17-14 overall record and an 8-3 mark in SCIAC to place third in the standings.
