The 18th-ranked University of Redlands men's water polo team dove back into the pool this weekend for the Gary Troyer Memorial Tournament at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in Claremont. The Bulldogs split results on the first day of the tournament, earning an impressive 15-7 win over Washington & Jefferson College (PA) before dropping a match to Cal Baptist University.
The Maroon and Gray wasted no time in the first match-up of the day against the Washington & Jefferson. Senior center Clint Freeman (Brentwood, CA) fired off four goals in the first quarter to contribute to the Bulldogs' 5-1 lead.
In the second quarter, senior goalkeeper Tyler Abbott (Alta Loma, CA) kept the W&J Presidents out of the net with six saves while also relying on the stellar Bulldog defense. Junior driver Michael Robinson (Corona, CA) added two goals, while junior center Tommy Hartwig (Vista, CA) provided his second goal of the game. Sophomore center-defender Nelson Glendinning (Philadelphia, PA) capped off the second period with a goal, leading to a sizeable Bulldog advantage at 11-1.
Junior center-defender David Sekula (LaGrange, IL) started off the third quarter strong for Redlands when he netted his first score of the game. At the end of the third period, freshman driver Alex Phillips (Anaheim, CA) also collected his first goal of the day, helping the Maroon and Gray to a 14-3 lead.
Washington & Jefferson attempted a comeback in the fourth stanza, but sophomore goalkeeper Christian Jamison (San Bernardino, CA) added six saves to keep the opponents out of the net. Sophomore center-defender Jake Funk (Fremont, CA) uncorked the final goal for the Bulldogs en route to their 15-7 triumph.
In the second match of the day, senior center-defender Christian Owaga (San Diego, CA) recorded the first goal of the game, resulting in what would be the Bulldogs' only lead. The Lancers of Cal Baptist supplied great defensive pressure throughout the contest, making it difficult for Redlands to find the back of the net.
Senior driver Quinn Curl (San Mateo, CA) netted a goal to cut down the Lancer lead late in the third frame. Freeman then added his seventh goal of the day in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough to overcome the Lancers.
Although the Bulldogs came up short in the 3-12 decision, Abbott and Jamison continued their success in the net by adding four saves apiece.
Redlands gets back into action on Saturday against Fordham University (NY) and Johns Hopkins University (MD), which is currently ranked No. 2 in the Division III poll. These tough matches begin at 10:20 a.m. and 3:40 p.m., respectively.
