RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Water Polo team (11-5, 3-0 SCIAC) lost their first game to open the Lancer Joust Invite, hosted by California Baptist University, to No. 16 Santa Clara University 16-5, but came back in game two against Fresno Pacific University, winning18-8 to split the two games on Friday.

Game 1 (No. 16 Santa Clara University; L, 5-16)
The game got off to a slow start for the Bulldogs as they allowed the first three goals to the Broncos before Spencer Clinton (Cypress, CA) took advantage of a powerplay opportunity making it a 3-1 deficit with 2:32 to play.

Less than a minute later it was a one-goal game as Andrew Sorensen (Long Beach, CA) also scored on a powerplay as the Bulldogs were down 3-2 with 2:02 left in the first eight minutes.

Santa Clara took control of the game in the second quarter, however, as they scored the final five goals and led 8-2 at the half.

The Broncos scored nine straight through three quarters before an Austin Galanski (Bakersfield, CA) goal in the first :17 seconds of the fourth got the Bulldogs their first goal since the opening quarter.

Just like the first, the Bulldogs earned their second-straight goal within a minute of the previous one as Curren McCarthy (San Clemente, CA) made it a 12-4 deficit only :56 seconds after Galanski scored as there was 6:47 still left in the game.

To end Redlands' scoring on the afternoon was Sorensen who picked up his second of the game with 1:16 remaining on the clock as the Bulldogs fell to the Broncos.

Much like it has been in other games this season, the Bulldogs scored all their goals in two quarters (first and fourth) and were only minus four in those quarters but were minus seven in the middle periods.  

Game 2 (Fresno Pacific University; W, 18-8)
The Bulldogs bounced back to end day one with an 18-8 win against Fresno Pacific University. After an off balanced scoring first game, Redlands was consistent across all four quarters, which started with the first four goalscoming from Dean Moody (Camarillo, CA), Ron Gvishi (Kiryat Tivon, Israel), Callum Norman (Johannesburg, South Africa), and Clinton who all scored in the first 4:40. Moody and Tanner Whitson (St. Louis, MO) each had assists.

To end the quarter the Bulldogs scored two of the final three goals with Moody finding Andrew Higginson (San Diego, CA) for his first of the invitational and then Moody added his second goal to his second assist with :28 ticks left on the clock.

The second quarter started slowly with no goals until the Sunbirds scored with 4:46 on clock, but the Bulldogs then ended on a 3-1 run. Norman scored his second as did Higginson and Gvishi as the lead was five, 9-4 at the half. Spencer Sellwood (Irvine, CA) assisted on Gvishi's goal.

The third eight-minute quarter saw each team trade back-to-back goals with the Bulldogs starting with the first two and ending with the final two as they extended their lead to seven,13-6.

Alec Abrahamian (Glendale, CA) beat the keeper only :23 seconds into the second half and Higginson scored :48 seconds later on a powerplay.

Following two Sunbird goals, Max Wagener (Piedmont, CA) scored on a five-meter penalty and then found the back of the net again with 1:32 to play.

In the final eight minutes Abrahamian, Higginson, Gvishi, and Dan Bajda (Lomnbard, Ill.) put the game away in the first four minutes as they led 17-6. Moody had two more assists and McCarthy picked up an assist as well. McCarthy added a goal in the last two minutes as the Bulldogs completed the win.

Moody finished with eight points thanks to six assists. Higginson, Gvishi, Abrahamian, Norman, Moody, and Wagener all posted multi-goal games. Roberto Barrera (Guanajuato, Mexico) had a bounce back game with seven saves and a steal.