Bulldog Men's Water Polo Challenges Cal Baptist Late in Saturday's Loss

Jasen Swan looks to score
Photo credit: Sam Keary

The University of Redlands men's water polo team took on the Cal Baptist University Lancers in its second game of the day at the Thompson Aquatic Center on Saturday evening.  Aside from an uncharacteristic first quarter, the Bulldogs competed well against the non-conference foe but came up short in a 10-14 decision.

The Lancers stormed out to a 7-1 lead through the first frame, forcing the Bulldogs to play catch-up from the early part of the contest.  Redlands' only score came off senior attacker Ty Williams' (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) assist and sophomore utility player Jasen Swan's (Glendora, CA) goal at the 5:30-mark of the stanza.

From here on, the Bulldogs out-scored the Lancers, 9-7, in a relentless effort on both ends of the pool. 

The teams traded scores through the first five minutes of the second quarter, with senior center Billy Clifford (Redlands, CA) and Swan each finding the back of the net.  After a huge defensive stop, the Bulldogs fired off back-to-back netters, with junior attacker Carter Kerwin (Bakersfield, CA) squeezing one in at the end of the second frame before Swan dished out the assist on Clifford's goal early in the third.  Junior center Cooper Krause (Denver, CO) added a goal for the Bulldogs with 2:17 left in the quarter.

The fourth frame saw the Bulldogs finish the game strong on a 4-3 run that included goals by first-year attacker Tor Cole (Malibu, CA), junior utility player Kyle Jackson (Naperville, IL , and junior attacker Reece Koe (Camarillo, CA). 

Although time ran out on the Maroon and Gray's comeback, the squad stepped up with quality plays late in the game. 

Defensively, Williams added a pair of steals, while sophomore goalkeeper Chris Martinez (Santa Ana, CA) made six stops in a complete-game effort.

Redlands (3-9, 1-1 SCIAC) heads to Occidental College on Saturday, September 29, for an 11 a.m. Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) match before competing in the CBU Lancer Tournament in Riverside later that afternoon.