REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Water Polo team (9-17, 7-3 SCIAC) lost by one goal, 13-12, to Whittier College at the Thompson Aquatic Center (TAC) Wednesday evening seeing their winning streak end at four games.
Adam Lambert (St. Louis, MO) scored at the 6:30 mark of the first, cutting the deficit to one before a 4-1 Redlands run through the end of the first quarter gave them a 5-3 lead. Jake Simpson (El Cajon, CA) scored twice with Oliver Finley (Cape Town, South Africa) and Lennon Franklin (Redlands, CA) also finding the back of the net thanks to assists by Tanner Stagner (Laguna Niguel, CA), Troy Barker (Roseville, CA), and Tim Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill.).
Whittier tied the game at five in the first four minutes of the second quarter before Joseph Madigan (Arlington, VA) found Harrison DeCourcy (Alameda, CA) inside followed by Jensen assisting Lambert to push Redlands ahead by two, 7-5, with 1:06 remaining in the half.
The Poets, however, got two goals in the final :29 seconds deadlocking the game at 7-7.
In the third both defenses had strong starts, holding each other scoreless for more than four minutes. That ended just seconds after the midway point of the period when the Poets scored the first of three goals, which gave them a 10-7 lead with :41 seconds on the clock.
Thanks to a powerplay opportunity, the Bulldogs were able to tally the final goal of the third with :11 seconds left. That goal sparked a 3-0 Bulldog run that helped them tie the game at 10-10 with 5:44 left. Camilo Solis (Camarillo, CA) and Franklin had the U of R goals.
The two sides traded goals to keep the game tied at 11-11. Ossie Joplin scored the Bulldogs' goal on a powerplay.
That Joplin connection, though, was the last goal for Redlands for nearly four minutes as Whittier took advantage with two unanswered goals that put them in front 13-11.
Despite the deficit the Bulldogs continued to fight. The game looked like it was over with Whittier in possession with less than :45 seconds to go.
The Poets, however, gave the Bulldogs a chance making a bad pass at mid-pool that Jensen collected before starting a fastbreak. He was stopped before getting a shot off, but drew a five-meter penalty. Finley then converted the penalty to draw UR within one, 13-12, with :31 seconds remaining.
In the final seconds the Poets played keep away until one them tried to take advantage of the Bulldogs not playing with a keeper. But attempt was blocked by Simpson who then threw the ball up the pool where it hit a teammate in front of the goal before being picked up by the Whittier keeper, which ultimately secured the win.
In the first and fourth quarters the Bulldogs outscored the Poets 9-6, but Whittier won the middle quarters, 7-3.
The loss does not move the Bulldogs from their current third place standing in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings.
Redlands travels to Occidental College this Saturday, November 8 for an 11:00 a.m. game, their final road regular season contest.
