REDLANDS, Calif. – The No. 2 ranked University of Redlands men's water polo team (2-8, 0-1 SCIAC) dropped a 10-9 sudden death overtime game to No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Saturday afternoon at the Thompson Aquatic Center (TAC) in both team's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opener.
Following a scoreless opening quarter, and finding themselves down 2-0, the Bulldogs' Nick Davidson (Honolulu, HI) found Oliver Finley (Cape Town, South Africa) for the Bulldogs' first goal sparking the U of R offense as Tanner Stagner (Laguna Niguel, CA) followed tying the game up with 5:29 remaining in the first half.
CMS then reclaimed the lead before two unanswered by Redlands put the Bulldogs in front for the first time, 4-3. Camilo Solis (Camarillo, CA) found Davidson on the first score before scoring himself on a powerplay with 1:35 on the clock.
The Stags did tie the game at four heading into half, but the Bulldogs would outscore them 4-2 in the period.
In what was a slow third quarter offensively, Zach Dortch (Alameda, CA) assisted Finley :33 seconds after the opening sprint and that 5-4 lead held for more than six minutes as it was not until a powerplay goal by CMS that tied the game with 1:03 to play in the third.
The tie, however, would only last for :19 seconds as Joseph Madigan (Arlington, VA) would score off a feed by Solis with :44 seconds remaining before taking advantage of a penalty drawn by Stagner to make it 7-5 after 24 minutes of play.
After scoring seven goals in the middle two quarters, the Bulldogs and Stags would both match their first quarter goal scoring totals as CMS scored two unanswered to even the score at seven.
The first came with 2:38 to play, and the game-tying goal found the inside of the near post with only four seconds on the clock as CMS played a 7-on-6 with the goalkeeper pulled for a field player who ended up being the goal scorer.
In the first of two three-minute overtime periods, CMS scored and held Redlands' offense in check. Madigan, though, continued his strong play from the start of the second half as he once again converted a penalty to equalize at eight in the second overtime. Finley provided the opportunity as he recorded a steal and got on the fastbreak before being fouled from behind.
Each team had chances to win it in the final minute of the second overtime, but a Bulldog turnover and a save by Matias Sheridan (Honolulu, HI), against another 7-on-6, sent the teams into sudden death.
Lennon Franklin (Redlands, CA) gave Redlands the first crack at a game-winner after he won the opening sprint, but the Bulldogs' had to cede possession with the shot clock running out.
On the other end an exclusion was whistled on Redlands, but the defense held CMS without a shot, while being down a player. Five seconds after getting back to full strength, however, the Stags scored from the right side of the pool going near post to seal the come from behind win.
Redlands was more efficient, converting on 34.6 percent of their attempts versus 27 percent by CMS. They also were two-for-two on penalties, while the Stags had no attempts. The difference proved to be pure number of chances as CMS took 37 shots to Redlands' 26.
The Bulldogs continue with SCIAC play this Wednesday, September 30 when they travel to Orange for a match-up with Chapman University beginning at 7:00 p.m.
