In the final season under veteran Head Coach Tom Whittemore, the Bulldog men's water polo team strung together many exciting wins to enter the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament for the first time since the event's inception. Redlands battled high-quality foes to a 15-15 overall record and secured a hard-fought 8-6 mark in conference competition. With multiple milestones and achievements made along the way, the squad made Whittemore's last coaching hurrah one for the memory books.
Redlands opened the 2019 season at the Rare Air - Air Force Invitational, where it went 2-2 over the weekend in Colorado Springs, CO with a 12-10 win over Lindenwood (MO) and a 20-11 victory over Salem (WV). Trailing 1-5 at the midway point against Lindenwood University (MO), the Bulldogs recovered with a methodical comeback in the final two periods to eke out a 12-10 win. By scoring four of his five goals in the opening frame, senior center Cooper Krause (Denver, CO) put together one of his best games of the season during the team's 20-11 thrashing of Salem University (WV).
The Maroon and Gray returned home to the Thompson Aquatic Center for the Inland Empire Classic. The Bulldogs went 2-3 over the busy weekend against top-notch foes like NCAA Division I opponents UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine University. The team showcased a strong effort in both ends of the pool to defeat Division II competitor, Concordia University Irvine, 12-9. Junior attacker Chris Frejlach (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) displayed his offensive prowess with four goals, while junior goalkeeper Chris Martinez (Santa Ana, CA) secured the win with 14 saves.
In late September, the Bulldogs jumped into SCIAC action by going 1-1 on the road against Cal Lutheran University and Chapman University. The U of R used a 5-0 run in the third period to surge past the Kingsmen, as first-year attacker Drake Moody (Camarillo, CA) capped off the offensive outburst. Despite falling to Chapman, 11-13, senior attacker Spencer Allen (Long Beach, CA) and senior Carter Kerwin (Bakersfield, CA) combined for seven of the goals in a strong showing.
Redlands then opened conference play at home with a big 15-9 win over Occidental College on October 2. First-year center Conner Strabel (Canyon Lake, CA) impressed with a four-for-four shooting clip.
After a close loss to Navy just three days later, the Maroon and Gray quickly regrouped to overtake Johns Hopkins University (MD), 14-11, later that day. Krause and senior attacker Kyle Jackson (Naperville, IL) teamed up for six goals in the exciting victory.
Unfortunately, Redlands fell in its last three games of the month by four, two, and then only one goal. Despite the losses, goalkeepers Martinez and first-year Liam Murphy (Placentia, CA) combined for 35 saves over the three games.
Despite dropping the first two games of November, the Bulldogs came back with a vengeance, winning four consecutive conference games to make a steady postseason push.
On November 6, the Maroon and Gray welcomed the Occidental Tigers to the TAC. Allen dominated the offense with four goals and three assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Jason Gates (San Jose, CA) kept the Tigers at bay by making eight saves en route to the 14-9 victory.
Three days later, Redlands topped Caltech by a final score of 16-11, with Krause and Kerwin combining for seven goals. Furthermore, senior attacker Reece Koe (Camarillo, CA) dished out three assists.
With the season winding down and the No. 4-spot still up for grabs in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament, Redlands faced a critical stretch of games, beginning at the University of La Verne. The intense game went back and forth the entire time, with the Bulldogs holding a slight lead in the fourth. With 3:30 left in the game, Jackson dished out one of his three assists and found senior center defender Carl Matthews (Yorba Linda, CA) for the eventual game-winner. Although La Verne scored another goal at 1:55, Martinez swiped a critical steal to solidify the exciting, 10-9 win.
In mid-November, the Bulldogs celebrated their six seniors in the last home game of the season against Chapman University. Equal play between the teams ensued for nearly the entire contest, resulting in a knotted score at 9-9 with 1:51 left in the game. Heading out of a timeout, Martinez found Allen on a long pass for the eventual game-winning score with just seven seconds left on the clock. Chapman mustered two more opportunities to score, but Martinez made a save and junior attacker Jasen Swan (Glendora, CA) came up with a big defensive block to secure the victory. Allen ended the game with five goals and two assists, while Martinez finished with 11 stops.
With this victory, Redlands secured a spot in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament for the first time since the event's inception. The Bulldogs snagged the No. 4 seed and headed to top-seeded Whittier College on November 22 for a 7 p.m. game.
In the semifinal, the Maroon and Gray orchestrated a strong first half amidst a back-and-forth showdown, but the Poets eventually prevailed by a score of 12-7.
As a result of their outstanding contributions throughout the season, Allen landed on the All-SCAIC First Team, while Krause snagged a spot on the Second Team. Also, the talented tandem was named to the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Division III All-America Teams, with Allen representing the Bulldogs on the First Team, while Krause earned an Honorable Mention.
Although the 2019 season proved to be Whittemore's last as the head coach, the Bulldog men's water polo team provided an excellent exit for its dedicated and decorated leader. Redlands also said goodbye to many senior contributors, which forces the team to reconfigure for the future. With Ryan Hall now at the helm of the squad, the Redlands men's water polo program looks forward to the next chapter with excitement and determination.