Claremont, Calif. – Jason Cox (Arnold, Md. - pictured) scored his 50th goal of the season, but it wasn't enough as the Pomona-Pitzer Water Polo team fell 9-5 to Air Force on Saturday evening at Haldeman Pool.
Pomona-Pitzer, which earlier in the day clinched a tie for first in the SCIAC (and the second seed in the tournament) with a win over Cal Lutheran, slips to 10-18 with the loss. Air Force, which was led by five goals from Cruz Smithson, improves to 8-15 on the year with the win.
Air Force jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, capped off by a five-meter goal from Jantz Johnson, before the Sagehens finally broke through man-up on a goal from Cox with 2:03 left in the stanza. Cruz Smithson answered back with his second goal of the game to make it 4-1 after the first quarter, before Cody Moore (San Dimas, Calif.) cut it to 5-3 before the half with an over-the-shoulder shot in front. Goalie Tyler Hill (Lafayette, Calif.) stopped a five-meter shot from the Falcons with 15 seconds left in the half to keep the score 5-3.
A goal from senior Jaron Moler (Carmichael, Calif.) brought the Sagehens within 6-4 with 6:34 left in the third, but Josh Stedman scored a man-up goal on the last possession of the third quarter for the Falcons, and Smithson scored on the first possession of the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to 8-4. Cox answered with his third of the game and 50th of the season with 6:31 left, and the Sagehens twice hit the woodwork in attempts to come closer, but Smithson was able to seal it with his fifth with 1:02 remaining.
Danny Harold had 12 saves for the Falcons (three in each quarter), while Tyler Hill had seven for the Sagehens.
Pomona-Pitzer will next be in action at the SCIAC Tournament at La Verne next weekend, when it opens up play on Friday against seventh-seeded Whittier at 11:45 a.m.
Score By Periods 1 2 3 4 F
Air Force 4 1 2 2 9
Pomona-Pitzer 1 2 1 1 5
Scoring Summary:
Qtr Time Team Score Player
1 6:55 AF 0-1 Brad Rajchel
1 4:11 AF 0-2 Cruz Smithson
1 3:28 AF 0-3 Jantz Johnson (5-meter)
1 2:03 PP 1-3 Jason Cox (man-up)
1 0:28 AF 1-4 Cruz Smithson
2 4:35 PP 2-4 Jason Cox
2 4:10 AF 2-5 Petar Jackovich
2 3:26 PP 3-5 Cody Moore
3 6:45 AF 3-6 Cruz Smithson
3 6:34 PP 4-6 Jaron Moler
3 0:24 AF 4-7 Josh Stedman (man-up)
4 7:38 AF 4-8 Cruz Smithson
4 6:31 PP 5-8 Jason Cox
4 1:02 AF 5-9 Cruz Smithson
Saves: PP – Tyler Hill (7); AF – Danny Harold (12)
