SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Pomona-Pitzer men's water polo team earned a 13-10 win over UC Merced before falling 15-10 to Air Force Sunday on the final day of the Julian Fraser Memorial.
Season Impact: With the results, the Sagehens continue their season at 13-12 overall and 7-0 in SCIAC play.
Pomona-Pitzer 13, UC Merced 10
The Sagehens were led by
Chase Barman who secured a hat trick by netting three goals throughout the game.
Indigo Lee,
Darragh Flanders,
Ryan Kreutzkamp, and
Conrad Hugar each also had a multigoal game and each scored two goals.
Alex Erickson and
Logan Colman each netted one.
Pomona-Pitzer started off strong against the Bobcats with eight first half goals including five goals in the first and three in the second quarter. Lee started the scoring by netting the first goal with 6:49 left on the clock. The Sagehens continued to break past the Merced defense with four more goals from Hugar, Flanders, and Lee. Notably, Hugar scored two of the goals with 6:04 and 2:47 left on the clock. Pomona-Pitzer concluded the first quarter with an early 5-1 lead. Kreutzkamp started the scoring in the second quarter with a goal with 7:34 left on the clock. While Merced broke through the Sagehen defense, Flanders and Barman netted goals during a powerplay and penalty shot, respectively, to maintain the lead. Pomona-Pitzer entered halftime ahead of Merced 8-4.
Pomona-Pitzer continued to play strong going into the second half as they earned five more goals in the third and fourth quarters. Kreutzkamp started the scoring in the second half by netting a goal with 6:26 left on the clock. Merced continued breaking through the Sagehen defense but another goal from Colman with 0:44 left on the clock continued the Pomona-Pitzer heading. The Sagehens closed out the third quarter, still ahead 10-7.
Pomona-Pitzer continued their effort in the fourth quarter by scoring three more goals from Barman and Erickson to widen the lead. Notably, Barman netted a goal on a powerplay and one on a penalty shot with 6:39 and 5:15 left on the clock. The Sagehens brought a competitive passion throughout the game and secured their 13-10 victory over UC Merced.
Pomona-Pitzer 10, Air Force 15
The Sagehens were led by
Indigo Lee,
Nico Perna,
Max Distaso, and
Jaden Winters who each scored two goals.
Darragh Flanders and
Zach Whitfield each netted one.
Pomona-Pitzer started playing well with six first half goals. Air Force struck first, but Winters and Flanders responded by netting goals with 6:14 and 4:38 left on the clock, respectively. The opposing offense kept breaking through the Sagehen defense, but Lee dented the twine and secured a goal with 1:59 left on the clock. Pomona-Pitzer concluded the first quarter trailing Air Force 4-3. Air Force attempted to widen the lead, but Lee and Perna netted goals with 3:10 and 2:07 left on the clock, respectively. Whitfield then also scored a goal with 0:09 left on the clock to catch up. However, Air Force lead remained, and the Sagehens entered halftime behind 8-6.
The Sagehens continued to bring keen energy through the second half and secured four goals in the third and fourth quarters. Distaso started the scoring in the second half and found the back of the net with a goal with 7:21 left on the clock during a powerplay. However, the Sagehens were unable to convert and fell behind as the opposing offense pushed past the Pomona-Pitzer defense. The Sagehens concluded the third quarter still behind Air Force 12-7.
The Sagehens fought back as they entered the fourth quarter. Perna attempted to catch up by securing a goal during a powerplay with 5:33 left on the clock. Distaso and Winters followed suit by scoring goals with 4:49 and 3:24 left on the clock, respectively. However, Air Force went on to seal the 15-10 win.
Up Next: The Sagehens will face off against CMS at Haldeman Pool on Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m. PT.
