CLAREMONT, CA – The Pomona-Pitzer men's water polo team secured the SCIAC regular season championship following a 13-6 win in its Senior Day game against Occidental on Saturday morning.
Season Impact: With the win, the Sagehens secure their second straight regular season conference title and lock up the No. 1 seed for the upcoming SCIAC Tournament.
The Sagehens were led by
Jaden Winters, who earned a hattrick by securing three goals throughout the game.
Indigo Lee,
Darragh Flanders,
Conrad Hugar, and
Zach Whitfield each also had a multigoal game and secured two goals.
Jake Lee and
Chase Barman each netted one for the win.
Pomona-Pitzer started strong against Occidental with six first half goals, scoring four in the first and two in the second quarter. The Tigers struck first, but Lee countered by netting a goal on a powerplay with 5:56 left on the clock. Whitfield and Lee followed by each scoring a goal during a powerplay with 4:12 and 2:43 left on the clock, respectively, to bring the Sagehens leading 3-1. Flanders netted a goal with even strength with 1:44 left on the clock to widen the lead. Pomona-Pitzer concluded the first period ahead of Occidental 4-1. Both teams managed to break through the other's defenses in the second period. However, the Sagehens maintained their lead as the opposing offense struck their defenses. Winters and Barman each netted a goal on during a powerplay with 2:56 and 0:37 left on the clock, respectively. The Sagehens maintained their comfortable lead as they entered halftime 6-4.
The Sagehens continued to play strong in the second half and secured seven more goals in the third and fourth quarters. Whitfield started the scoring in the second half by netting a goal with 6:44 left on the clock. Winters continued the momentum by securing two goals, one with 5:46 and 0:45 left on the clock. Pomona-Pitzer maintained their lead and finished the third quarter, still ahead of Occidental 9-4.
Lee started the scoring in the second quarter by scoring a goal with 6:39 left on the clock. Hugar and Flanders followed by netting goals with 5:16 and 1:39 left on the clock, respectively, to bring the Sagehens ahead 5-12. Despite efforts from the Tigers to catch up, a goal from Hugar with 0:26 left on the clock further cemented the Pomona-Pitzer lead. The Sagehens concluded their Senior Day game with a strong 13-6 victory over Occidental.
Up Next: The Sagehens will play next week in the SCIAC Men's Water Polo Tournament, first in the conference semifinals.
