The University of Redlands men's water polo team continued its positive momentum from a year ago with a solid showing in the 2016 season. Under the direction of Head Coach Tom Whittemore, the team upended multiple NCAA Division I and II teams, as highlighted by the 11-10 victory over then-No. 17 San Jose State. The team finished its impressive season in fourth place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) with a 7-4 mark en route to an 18-15 overall mark.
The team got off to a challenging start with some tough opponents at the UC San Diego Triton Invite. The best display of the weekend came in the first game, as the Maroon and Gray faced Loyola Marymount University and nearly edged the Division I foe in a hard-fought 11-12 decision. Sophomore center Billy Clifford (Redlands, CA) and senior center-defender Danny Hartwig (Vista, CA) provided the only multi-score performances.
Redlands returned home to the friendly surroundings of the Thompson Aquatic Center to face Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Occidental College, and Pepperdine University during the Inland Empire Classic. Highlighting the split results of the weekend, Redlands edged Pomona-Pitzer in a close 13-11 game. Junior center Matt Shippen (Santa Maria, CA) led the offensive brigade by netting a team-high five goals.
The Bulldogs headed to Northern California for the UC Davis Aggie Classic in mid-September to take on quality Division I foes. In the team's match-up against Fresno Pacific, Redlands rallied to overcome a five-goal deficit to tie it up at eight-all. Late in the game, sophomore driver Aki Andersen (Laguna Beach, CA) provided a tough defensive play to draw an exclusion on the Sunbirds and then went on to score the equalizing goal to make it 10-all. Although FPU managed the final score of the game, the Maroon and Gray revealed its strong abilities against a top-notch opponent.
Against then-No. 17 San Jose State, the Bulldogs turned a first-quarter deficit into a slight lead and held on for the 11-10 victory to start the second day of the Aggie Classic off on a celebratory note. After trailing 2-5, the Bulldogs settled down to find their offensive rhythm while stepping up their defense. Redlands went on a 4-1 run through the second period and then extended that impressive play with a 3-1 showing in the third. The Maroon and Gray avoided overtime with a big-time save by senior goalkeeper Chris Sekula (LaGrange, IL) on the opponents' last-second effort. He finished the game with nine saves. Junior center-defender Max Taylor (Henderson, NV) supplied a game-high four goals and the assist on Shippen's game-winning goal with 62 seconds left in the contest.
Two weeks later, Redlands traveled the short distance to Riverside to take part in the Cal Baptist University Lancer Invite. The Bulldogs topped Concordia University – Irvine with authority in a 17-8 triumph to get things started. Youthful talent shined in the second half of the game, as Andersen, freshman driver Spencer Allen (Long Beach, CA), and freshman center Cooper Krause (Denver, CO) each found the back of the net for the final three goals of the game.
On day two of the CBU Invite, Redlands sought redemption against Fresno Pacific in the teams' second meeting of the season. Together, Shippen, Hartwig, sophomore driver Ty Williams (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), junior driver Kevin Chapa (Carlsbad, CA), and senior center-defender Mark Zikov (La Quinta, CA) supplied the 11 goals needed to overcome FPU's eight goals for the avenging victory.
The Bulldogs' final opponent of the tournament provided a conference preview between two quality opponents, as Redlands took on Whittier. Redlands jumped out to a 6-2 start through the midway point of the contest. Despite a scoreless third frame, the Maroon and Gray stayed out in front through the final whistle en route to the 7-5 victory. Senior driver Zac Polmanteer's (Long Beach, CA) second goal of the game served as the game-winner, while Hartwig remained efficient on offense by recording two of the Bulldogs' netters.
Redlands continued to roll through its non-conference slate of foes, notching three more victories to extend its win streak to seven on October 7 during the Gary Troyer Memorial Tournament. Following a 23-7 thrashing of McKendree University (IL), the Bulldogs prevailed over Fordham State University (NY) and Iona College (NY). Sekula remained the steady defensive cog for the Maroon and Gray, recording 11 saves in the two tournament wins.
In the final game of the tournament, the Bulldogs won a thriller in overtime against the Air Force Academy. Redlands jumped out to a 6-4 advantage through the first two frames while relying on a diversified offense and stellar play on defense. However, the Falcons rallied for a 4-1 run in the third to take an 8-7 lead. Amidst a defensive battle in the final frame, it came down to the last possession, when Taylor fired off his fourth goal of the game at the buzzer to send it to overtime. Reenergized for the extra opportunity, the Maroon and Gray scored three goals to avoid the sudden-death period and walk away with a huge win. Senior driver Kyle Murata (Brea, CA), Walker, and Chapa each recorded their first goal of the game in overtime. As the Bulldogs' last line of defense, Sekula came up big with 16 saves, including three in overtime.
Redlands kicked off SCIAC play on the road against Chapman, downing the Panthers by a score of 17-7. Taylor finished with a game-high four goals, while Zikov added three. Freshman drivers Austin Kent (Redlands, CA), and Blake Burney (Las Vegas, NV) each notched a fourth-quarter netter for the Maroon and Gray.
The team continued to cruise through SCIAC with back-to-back wins against Occidental College and Caltech.
However, the Bulldogs' victorious run came to an end with a four-game skid late in the season, including two losses by a combined three goals.
Nonetheless, Redlands bounced back with an impressive 17-10 win over the University of La Verne on November 9. Chapa finished with a game-high five netters, while Shippen and Taylor recorded the only other multi-goal showings. In addition, Clifford, Williams, Andersen, and junior driver Logan Wright (Ladera Ranch, CA) provided one score apiece to keep the Leopards at bay later in the game.
The team then headed to Thousand Oaks to complete the dual-match portion of SCIAC competition against Cal Lutheran University. A big second half propelled the Bulldogs to a 13-9 victory over the Kingsmen, with Taylor scoring four of his team-leading five goals in the second half.
As the fourth-seeded team, the Bulldogs faced fifth-seeded La Verne in the first round of the SCIAC Championship Tournament at Pasadena City College. In a total-team effort, the Maroon and Gray sailed past the Leopards in a huge 16-5 victory.
This moved Redlands into the semi-final match against top-seeded Pomona-Pitzer. Although the Bulldogs outscored the Sagehens in the second half, Pomona-Pitzer's strong first half was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome. Polmanteer, Kent, and freshman driver Bryce Hurick (Exeter, CA) combined for three scores in the final two periods, but it was not enough, as the Bulldogs fell by a score of 7-12.
For their last match of the season, the Bulldogs took on the second-seeded Whittier Poets for third place in the SCIAC Tournament. Trailing by as many as five early in the fourth quarter, Redlands relied on heart and tenacity to chip away at the deficit. With 10 seconds left, Murata completed the Maroon and Gray's improbable rally by uncorking the game-tying goal. After trading scores once again, the teams headed into the second overtime with victory on their minds. With 29 seconds left on the clock, Redlands had the ball and called a timeout to set up one last chance before going to sudden victory. After moving the ball around, Allen fired off a shot from the perimeter that rocketed to the back of the net for the game-winner.
Soon after the conclusion of the season, the SCIAC announced that four Redlands men's water polo student-athletes received All-Conference distinctions. Hartwig and Sekula etched their names among the First-Team list, while Taylor received a spot on the Second Team. Murata rounded out the honorees as the Bulldogs' representative on the SCIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
In addition, the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) honored three Bulldogs with various NCAA Division III All-America nods. Hartwig was named to the First Team, Sekula represented the Bulldogs on the Second Team, and Taylor collected Honorable Mention.
Following the success of the 2016 campaign, Redlands anticipates continued achievements in the years to come. Although the loss of their seniors is significant, the Bulldogs are excited for the future with the young capabilities and determination that fill the team.