CLAREMONT, CA. – The Pomona-Pitzer men's water polo team suffered a 13-8 loss to UC Santa Barbara and secured a 17-6 win over Fresno Pacific in the Inland Empire Classic on Saturday afternoon at Axelrood Pool.

Season Impact: With the results, the Sagehens move to 1-5 on the season.

Sagehens 8, UC Santa Barbara 13

The Sagehens were led by Indigo Lee who netted a hat-trick with three goals in the loss. Jaden Winters also had a multi-goal game with two goals while Max Distaso, Chase Barman, and Zach Whitfield each had one.

The Sagehens gave a good fight in the first quarter. Despite several goals from the Gauchos, the Sagehens were able to push back, and Indigo Lee got Pomona-Pitzer on the scoreboard with a goal in the back of the net with 4:31 minutes left on the clock. Lee's goal set the score 2-1 with UCSB in the lead. Still, the two teams scored alternating goals from there and Santa Barbara still got an edge over the Sagehens as they finished the quarter in the lead 4-2.

Jaden Winters led early in the second quarter by winning the sprint and attempting a shot, but the Gauchos defense saved it from finding the back of the net. Both sides scored alternating goals, but Santa Barbara still maintained their lead. Despite numerous opportunities to shoot on the goal, the Sagehens were unable to hit their mark and the Gauchos stayed in the lead 7-3 as the game moved into halftime.

The Sagehens came to play in the third quarter. Despite Santa Barbara scoring again, Max Distaso beat the opposing goalie during a power play with 3:39 minutes on the clock, setting the score 8-4 with the Gauchos still leading. Jaden Winters and Indigo Lee then each scored penalty shots with 2:50 and 1:55 on the clock, respectively. Neither team let up for the rest of the quarter with both having attempts at the goal. The third period concluded with Santa Barbara in the lead 8-6.

Both teams gave a good effort in the fourth quarter, but Santa Barbara furthered their lead as they broke through Pomona-Pitzer's defenses. The Sagehens still did not give up and were able to score with a man advantage with a goal from Zach Whitfield with 1:20 minutes left on the clock leaving the Gauchos still in the lead 12-7. Despite another goal from Santa Barbara, the Sagehens still tried to catch up with a goal from Chase Barman during a man advantage with 0:12 minutes left on the clock. Even with two key goals from this quarter and a strong effort, the Sagehens still fell to the Gauchos 13-8.

Sagehens 17, Fresno Pacific 6

The Sagehens were led by Alex Erickson and Alden Pfau who each netted hat-tricks with three goals for the win. Julian Montoya and Chase Barman also scored two goals each with Jake Lee, Darragh Flanders, Ryan Kreutzkamp, Emerson LaPorta, Micah Webber, Tommy Ryan, and Dylan Bird each scoring one.

Pomona-Pitzer started strong against the Sunbirds as Alex Erickson scored the first goal of the game with 7:34 left on the clock. The Sagehens continued to dominate through the end of the first quarter as they secured five more goals and set their potent lead 6-0.  

Despite the Sunbirds breaking through Pomona-Pitzer's defense, the Sagehens obtained four more goals. Notably, Darragh Flanders dented the twine and set the 10-1 lead for Pomona-Pitzer with 3:35 minutes left on the clock. The Sunbirds achieved another goal, but by halftime the Pomona-Pitzer lead remained vigorous at 10-2.

Pomona-Pitzer stayed vigilant going into the third quarter. Alden Pfau scored another goal for the Sagehens with 7:35 minutes on the clock and achieved the score 11-2. Both teams scored alternating goals, but the Sagehens maintained a ten-point lead through the end of the quarter and finished the quarter ahead 15-5.

Each side brought the energy to the final period of the game, but while Pomona-Pitzer and Fresno Pacific both had various attempts at scoring, both failed to hit the mark. Then, following the Sunbirds breaking through their defenses, the Sagehens secured their staggering lead with two more goals. Dylan Bird found the back of the net at the 3:55 minute mark and Alex Erickson beat the goalie and scored at the 2:50 minute mark. The game concluded with the Sagehens finishing with an astounding lead 17-6.

Up Next: The Sagehens will face-off against Caltech on the road on Wednesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m. PT.