U of R Men's Water Polo Sees Winning Streak end at Six Games | Edged 9-7 by Cal Lutheran

Image Credit: Adrian Williams
Image Credit: Adrian Williams

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Water Polo team saw their winning streak come to an end at six games following a 9-7 loss to California Lutheran University.

The Bulldogs, who moved up from No. 8 to No. 2 in the Collegiate Water Polo (CWPA) Division III National Polls move to 9-7, 2-1 SCIAC.     

Following a slow start in the first half that saw the Bulldogs down three, 5-2, they would go on to score three times in the third quarter before ultimately coming up two goals short, 9-7. 

The Bulldogs trailed in the first quarter 2-1 and then 3-1 late in the second. Their opening goal came from Ron Gvishi (Kiryat Tivón, Israel) who scored off a Drake Moody (Camarillo, Calif.) assist at the 4:42 mark. 

Trailing 3-1 with less than four minutes remaining in the half, Alec Abrahamian (Glendale, CA) would get onto the scoresheet with 3:30 on the clock, as Gvishi would tally the assist. CLU though would score twice in the final 1:16 to take the three-goal lead into the half. 

After allowing two goals in the first four minutes of the third quarter, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing by five.  But somehow they would collect themselves with Gvishi scoring :38 seconds later, his second of the game, which came on a power-play, that moved the score to 7-3.

The Kingsmen scored their eighth goal shortly after, but again UR had a response this time from Spencer Clinton (Cypress, CA) and Andrew Sorensen (Long Beach, CA) who would go back-to-back making it a three-goal deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Gvishi assisted on the Clinton goal and Clinton then setup the Sorensen tally.

Two and a half minutes into the fourth quarter Sorensen picked up his second goal of the game stretching the UR run to 4-1, while cutting the lead to two, 8-6.  Over the next four minutes the game would remain scoreless until CLU would get their ninth goal of the game, which sealed the win with 1:15 left.   

Spencer Sellwood (Irvine, CA) attempted to keep the Bulldogs alive with :57 seconds left, but that would be the last offensive opportunity for the Bulldogs as they would fall by two.   

Gvishi led the Bulldogs and tied a game-high with four points on two goals and two assists. Abrahamian and Clinton each had a goal and an assist and Sorensen would bag a brace with a steal.

Liam Murphy (Placentia, CA) played all 32:00 minutes posting 12 saves, a steal and a .571 save percentage.    

The Bulldogs return to the Thompson Aquatic Center (TAC) this Saturday, October 8 at 11:00 a.m. for a big SCIAC showdown with Occidental College.