Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Redlands Men's Water Polo team ended the Rare Air Challenge Sunday with a pair of wins over Johns Hopkins University (W, 20-15) and Ottawa University (AZ) (W, 11-7).
The Bulldogs end the two days going 2-2 and will return home to host the Inland Empire Classic next weekend, September 9-10 at the Thompson Aquatic Center.
Game 1 – Johns Hopkins University (W, 20-15)
Last year the Maroon and Grey took on Johns Hopkins University twice winning both matchups 11-4 and 18-6, the second victory coming in the semi-finals of the USA Division III Collegiate National Championships. Since 2013 the U of R are 9-1 against the Blue Jays winning their last nine head-to-heads.
Redlands jumped out in front quickly 8-3 after the opening eight minutes coming from seven different players.
Andrew Higginson (San Diego, CA) led the attack with a pair of goals and the other connections came from
Dean Moody (Camarillo, CA),
Spencer Sellwood (Irvine, CA),
Andrew Sorensen (Long Beach, CA),
Aidan Murphy (Placentia, CA), and
Spencer Clinton (Cypress, CA).
A big second quarter would push the lead to 13-4 at the break as a 5-1 run would keep the offense cruising. Higginson added his third of the game and
Nicolas Fedotov (Miami Beach, CA), Moody, Sellwood, and
Callum Norman (Johannesburg, South Africa) would add to the scoreboard. The Blue Jays came out strong in the second half outscoring the U of R 5-3 to cut the deficit to seven. Fedotov,
Tanner Whitson (St. Louis, MO) and Sellwood would all connect for the Bulldogs. Across the final eight minutes a combined ten goals were scored with JHU putting up another six goals to get within five, but the deficit was too big to overcome as
Alec Abrahamian (Glendale, CA), Norman,
Austin Galanski (Bakersfield, CA), and Sorensen would secure the win.
Game 2 – Ottawa University (W, 11-7)
The Bulldogs ended the Rare Air Challenge with another win this time against Ottawa University. Since 2019 these two teams have met five times with Redlands holding a 4-1 record, which includes their last three.
Sunday the Maroon and Grey jumped out in front and maintained a lead throughout. They led 3-1 after the opening period with Abrahamian, Sellwood, and Murphy all finishing. Ther margin grew to three at the break 6-3 as Moody, Sellwood, and Galanski would all find the back of the net. Each team put up three goals in the third as the margin remained three. This time
Jack Ryan (Ventura, CA), Fedotov, and Sellwood would score moving the score to 9-6.
Across the final eight minutes only three goals would be scored with UR holding the advantage 2-1 thanks to Moody and Clinton.
Next weekend at the IEC the Bulldogs will take on Fresno Pacific (Sept. 9 @ 9:00am), UC Irvine (Sept. 9 @ 3:30pm), Austin College (Sept. 10 @ 8:00am), and Air Force Academy (Sept. 10 @ 1:40pm).
