FULLERTON, Calif. – The University of Redlands men's water polo team (2-7) split their two games at the CSUF Invitational Friday as they took down Concordia Irvine University (CUI), 10-7, before falling to RV Air Force Academy, 19-10.
Game 1(Concordia University Irvine; W, 10-7)
In the second meeting in a week between the Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles it was the Bulldogs once again getting the win as Septime De Bonnafos (Marseille, France) made 17 saves out of a total of 24 shots on goal.
Adam Lambert (St. Louis, MO) scored twice and Blake Minkler (Yucaipa, CA) added a third for Redlands in the first quarter as they took a 3-1 lead into the second. Oliver Finley (Cape Town, South Africa), Joseph Madigan (Arlington, VA), and Michael Villagran (Glendora, CA) each had an assist.
Following a Golden Eagle goal with 4:14 to play in the first half, Ossie Joplin (Kentfield, CA) scored for a 4-2 U of R lead at the break.
It was a six-goal third quarter with each side tallying three and neither side allowing the other to score consecutively. Tanner Stagner (Laguna Niguel, CA) scored two and Madigan the third.
Redlands scored the first two goals of the fourth thanks to Zach Dortch (Alameda, CA) who put the game away, 9-5, with 4:05 on the clock. Finley would put up the 10th and final Bulldog goal in the final two minutes.
11 different Bulldogs recorded a point, which is impressive considering there were only 10 goals scored.
Game 2 (RV Air Force Academy; L, 19-10)
After an opening minute connection by Johnny Starr (Bakersfield, CA) off a Finley assist, the Bulldogs did not score for another eight minutes until Finley found the back of the net in the early part of the second quarter.
In that second period the two teams combined for 11 goals with four coming from Redlands. Nick Davidson (Honolulu, HI) and Lambert combined for three goals as the Bulldogs went into the break down seven, 12-5.
The Bulldogs' defense was subpar to end the first half, conceding five goals in the final 2:49, but they bounced back with a scoreless stretch of more than three minutes to begin the third.
In that third Finley tallied a pair with Stagner finding Jake Simpson (El Cajon, CA) for Redlands' eighth goal.
Dortch and Brady Bailey (Ramona, CA) had the two goals in the fourth with Stephen Ramirez (Pasadena, CA) adding an assist on Bailey's goal.
Through their lone two games at the Invite Lambert is tied for ninth with four goals, Stagner is tied for second with five assists, Stagner is tied for fifth with seven points, Finley is tied for seventh with six points, Dortch is tied for third with two field blocks, Simpson and Finley are tied for fourth with three steals, De Bonnafos is third with 17 saves, and first with a .567 save percentage.
Redlands gets the rest of the weekend off and won't play again until next Saturday, September 19 when they host Golden West College at the Thompson Aquatic Center beginning at 12:00pm.
