REDLANDS, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer Men's Water Polo team came away with a 13-9 win over MIT and a 21-7 win over Ottawa to start the IE Classic at the University of Redlands.
Season Impact: With the wins, the Sagehens earned their first two wins of the year and improved to 2-4.
Pomona-Pitzer 13, MIT 9
The Sagehens had five players with a multi-goal game as Logan Coleman,
Jack Ryan,
Conrad Hugar,
Max Distaso, and
Connor Sullivan had two goals each in the win while
Darragh Flanders,
Indigo Lee and
Zach Whitfield had one.
Liam Byrne picked up the win in goal with seven saves and a steal.
MIT jumped out to a lead in the first with the opening two goals of the game. The Sagehens got their first goal of the day from Coleman to make it 2-1, but MIT ended the first with another goal to take a 3-1 lead into the second.
The Sagehens immediately closed the gap in the second quarter with back-to-back goals from Sullivan to bring the game level at 3-3. The Sagehens and Engineers exchanged goals throughout the second quarter as Flanders and Ryan found the back of the net to make it even at 5-5 heading into halftime.
Pomona-Pitzer took their first lead of the game after a goal from Distaso gave the Sagehens a 6-5 lead. Pomona-Pitzer a good job keeping that advantage throughout the quarter with goals from Whitfield, Distaso and Ryan to make it 10-6 heading into the fourth.
Lee opened the fourth with a goal to make it 11-6 and with the game well in hand, the Sagehens added goals from Hugar to take game one of the IE Classic 13-9 over MIT.
Pomona-Pitzer 21, Ottawa 7
The Sagehens were led by Lee who tallied a hat-trick with three goals in the win.
Hudson Schneider,
Kai Baker,
Julian Montoya, Hugar, and
Jack Ryan had two goals each while John Schafer,
Dillon Joyce,
Theo Bass,
Max Distaso,
Chris Childs, and
Micah Webber had one.
John Possman earned the win for the Sagehens with six saves.
The Sagehens got out to a good start with a 5-1 lead after the first with goals from Lee, Hugar, Kaplan, and Monytoya. Ottawa cut the lead down to 6-3 in the second but the Sagehens ended the half with goals from Lee, Distaso, Hugar and Ryan with a 4-0 run to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.
The Sagehens continued their high scoring game with five goals in the third and six in the fourth. Kaplan, Montoya, Joyce and Baker netted goals in the third with Bass, Schneider, Webber, Childs and Schafer earning goals in the fourth as the Sagehens cruised to a 2-0 day at the IE Classic.
Up Next: The Sagehens will continue the IE Classic with games against Fresno Pacific and Santa Barbara at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
