CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Water Polo team (9-4, 2-0 SCIAC) went back to non-conference action as they split their two games at the Gary Troyer Tournament Saturday falling by only one, 15-14 to Division I No. 10 University of the Pacific (UOP) before beating Division III No. 10 Augustana College 13-6.

The Bulldogs on the season are 9-4, 2-0 SCIAC and have won six of their last seven.  

Game 1 (Pacific; L, 15-14)
The Bulldogs had a fantastic start against the Tigers in the first quarter as they blitzed UOP with four unanswered goals in the first 3:17. Three of the four goals were scored by Dean Moody (Camarillo, CA) who got his hat trick and Andrew Higginson (San Diego, CA) converted a penalty shot.

The Tigers responded with three-straight of their own as it was a 4-3 game in the last minute of the first. With only 26 seconds left to play in the first eight minutes Spencer Sellwood (Irvine, CA) was found by Andrew Sorensen (Long Beach, CA) for a powerplay goal and a 5-3 lead.

In the opening three minutes of the second the Tigers tied the game at two, but Higginson recorded his second of the morning and reclaimed the lead as Alec Abrahamian (Glendale, CA) found him on the man-up situation.

Ending the half on a 2-1 run was Pacific who tied the game at seven thanks to a goal with only two seconds remaining in half, Sorensen scored for a 7-6 lead a few minutes prior.

Redlands started on fire in the first and had a solid second, but the third was dominated by Pacific as they led 13-8 with the lone goal of the period coming in the opening 30 seconds as Callum Norman (Johaannesburg, South Africa) gave the Bulldogs the lead for two minutes before the Tiger run.

Trailing by five in the final six minutes, Spencer Clinton (Cypress, CA), Max Wagener (Piedmont, CA), Sellwood, Ron Gvishi (Kiryat Tivon, Israel), and Higginson all scored to draw within one, 15-14 with 1:28 on the clock. The Bulldogs, though, were never able to attempt a shot as they lost by one.

Roberto Barrera (Guanajuato, Mexico) made this a game thanks to 15 saves and a .500 save percentage. Moody and Higginson each had hat tricks and Sellwood and Norman each record a pair of goals.

Game 2 (Augustana; W, 13-6)
The Bulldogs came out aggressive in their second match-up as they scored the first four of the game, the fourth which came from Barrera. Aidan Murphy (Placentia, CA), Moody, and Higginson scored the other three.

The Bulldogs then ended the first half with a 4-0 run as they took a commanding 8-1 lead into the break.  

The 4-0 run turned into a 7-0 stretch into the first two minutes of the third as Moody, Gvishi, and Higginson scored to put the game to bed at 11-1.

Augustana made a late mini-run, but the Bulldogs got another Moody goal and the first from Owen DeCourcy (Alameda, CA) to close out a 13-6 win.

Higginson netted his second-straight hat trick while Moody one upped him with five more goals as Barrera outdid himself with 13 saves, a .684 save percentage, a goal, and three steals.

The Bulldogs return to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action next week when they host the California Institute of Technology at the Thompson Aquatic Center next Wednesday, October 4 beginning at 7:00 p.m.