CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands men's water polo team (5-10) wrapped up day two of the Gary Troyer Tournament with a 20-8 loss against No. 7 Long Beach State University (LBSU) in the morning before a 13-12 come-from-behind overtime win over McKendree University in the afternoon.
Game 1 (No. 7 Long Beach State; L, 20-8)
Oliver Finley (Cape Town, South Africa) and Jake Simpson (El Cajon, CA) had Redlands' two first quarter goals with Camilo Solis (Camarillo, CA) adding an assist as it was 6-2 LBSU after eight minutes of action.
With a player advantage in the opening minute of the second, Nick Davidson (Honolulu, HI) found Ossie Joplin inside who then found the back of the net to make it a 6-3 game. After a response goal at the other end, Finley scored his second of the game with 5:43 on the clock in the second.
Following a 4-0 LBSU run across the end of the first half and the beginning of the second, Matthew Wheeler (Visalia, CA) ended that run with a goal at the 4:06 mark of the third quarter, which made it 11-5 the Beach.
Joseph Madigan (Arlington, VA) then scored two goals, one in the last two minutes of the third and another with 3:47 remaining in the game. Samson Casem (Long Beach, CA) put the final Bulldog goal in the back of the net :32 seconds after Madigan's second.
Christian Newberry (Huntington Beach, CA) finished with two drawn exclusions, Adam Lambert (St. Louis, MO) also drew an exclusion and had a steal, and in goal Matias Sheridan (Honolulu, HI) made five saves and added two steals in 32 minutes.
Game 2 (McKendree University; W, 13-12-OT)
Playing their fourth game in about 28 hours, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing the McKendree University Bearcats 5-3 with less than four minutes to play in the opening half.
Tanner Stagner (Laguna Niguel, CA), though, scored twice in :36 seconds to tie the game at five. Sheridan and Davidson had the assists. McKendree, however, responded with the next three goals to take their largest lead of the game since the last minute of the first quarter.
With :29 seconds on the clock Michael Villagran (Glendora, CA) found Stagner to complete his first half hat trick, while reducing the halftime deficit to two, 8-6.
Each team scored twice in the third with Davidson and Madigan each beating the Bearcat keeper, which sent the game to the fourth with McKendree up, 10-8.
Following a Bearcat goal with 3:55 remaining in the game, it looked like they would be able to pull out the win. Lambert, though, would help the Bulldogs respond as he assisted Zach Dortch (Alameda, CA). Wheeler then found Joplin to make it a one-goal game, 12-11, with 1:36 to play.
There would be only one more shot attempt until the final :10 seconds when Davidson got an opportunity for a penalty that was drawn by Lambert with eight seconds left. Davidson converted the penalty with seven seconds left and that sent the two teams to overtime.
Madigan earned Redlands the first possession after winning the sprint, which proved to be the difference as Wheeler assisted Davidson for the only goal of overtime.
The rest of the extra time saw each team's keeper make two saves with Madigan field blocking the final Bearcat shot of the game.
Simpson did not score but he had an assist, two drawn exclusions, and a steal. Joplin had two goals and two steals, Finley recorded two steals, Lambert had two goals, an assist, two drawn exclusions, and a steal, and Dortch matched Lambert's three points with two goals and an assist along with a drawn exclusion and steal. Sheridan had a strong second half between the posts as he finished his day with 10 saves, an assist, and three steals.
Redlands welcomes Occidental College to the Thompson Aquatic Center (TAC) next Wednesday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m.
