LOS ANGELES – The University of Redlands Men's Water Polo team (1-8) lost 25-6 at defending NCAA Division I National Champion and current No. 1 University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Friday afternoon in their first of four games at the Overnght Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational.
This is the first time the Bulldogs have taken on the No. 1 team from Division I since 2015 when the Bulldogs lost 18-3, also to UCLA.
Trailing 5-0 in the final minute of the first quarter Joseph Madigan (Arlington, VA) assisted Lennon Franklin (Redlands, CA) with :34 seconds on the clock to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.
Following a scoreless second, Tim Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill.) scored a penalty that was drawn by Harrison DeCourcy (Alameda, CA) in the third. Then in the last :15 seconds backup goalkeeper Nathan Gattorna (Carlsbad, CA) scored on a seven-on-six to make the score 19-3 after 24 minutes.
The Bulldogs took advantage of a powerplay in the fourth thanks to Brody Nielsen (Capitola, CA) who drew the exclusion. During the powerplay Camilo Solis (Camarillo, CA) found Franklin for the Maroon and Grey's fourth goal.
Goals five and six came with 2:12 and 1:30 on the clock after Sebas Maccalla assisted Jake Simpson (El Cajon, CA) and Tanner Stagner (Laguna Niguel, CA) set up Madigan.
Troy Barker (Roseville, CA) got the start and played the first half where he made five saves and drew an exclusion. Gattorna had seven saves across the final 16 minutes. Franklin led all Bulldogs with a brace. Nielsen had four drawn exclusions.
Redlands awaits the loser of Pepperdine University and University of California, Davis who they play at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, Saturday, September 20 at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center at the University of Southern California (USC).
