Owls Take Lumps at CalBap Tournament

Riverside, CA - Facing some of the top four-year schools not only in Southern California but in the nation, the Citrus College Men's Water Polo took their lumps over the weekend in going 0-4. Citrus lost to NCAA #14 California Baptist in the opener, as well as to NCAA DIII #4 University of Redlands, NCAA DIII #1 Pomona-Pitzer College, and Chapman University. 

 In the opener against the Lancers, the Owls hung briefly, with sophomore Kristopher Williams scoring the first goal of the game. CalBap would rally with a pair of strikes, but a score by freshman Jonathan Wong off a pass from sophomore James Adams made it 2-2 headed into the second quarter.

In the second, Citrus would briefly regain the lead with another Wong score and Adams assist that made it 3-2. The Lancers would put the clamps on the Owls over the next 13 minutes of game time, embarking on a 11-1 run that was finally broken up by a 6-on-5 score by freshman Panagiotis Giannoulias with 1:28 left in the third. Citrus would get two more scores before the end of the game, but CalBap scored seven more as the Owls lost 20-7. Wong would finish with a team high four goals, while Adams had a score and three assists.

Against Redlands, the Bulldogs jumped all over the Owls scoring the first three goals of the match. Sophomore Vincent Edwards would stop the run by Redlands, but the Bulldogs scored three of the final five goals of the quarter to put Citrus in a 6-3 hole at the break. Redlands would open the second with a score, but Edwards jump started a 3-1 run for Citrus that saw the Owls pull to within two at 6-8 after a Wong goal with 2:50 left in the first half. 

That was pretty much the last offensive threat Citrus would post over the final 18 minutes of action, as Redlands closed the game on a 10-1 run. Citrus' only goal in the last stretch would come via Wong with 5:47 left in the third. Edwards would lead the way offensively for Citrus with three scores, and also drew a team high four exclusions. 

On Saturday, Citrus started with Chapman and the Owls once again fell in an early hole as the Panthers five of the first six goals in the game. Citrus would make a run at things getting a pair of goals by sophomore James Cano late in the second quarter to pull to within two at 3-5. Chapman responded though by scoring the final two goals of the first half and the first three of the second half to extend their lead comfortably en route to a 16-10 win. Wong would score five times and record five steals in the loss. Sophomore goalie Drake Santos would stop 13 shots and steal three balls. Cano added a pair of scores to go along with three assists.

The weekend closed out with Pomona-Pitzer. The Owls would keep it competitive through the first quarter, trailing by just three scores at the end of one. The Sagehens  would keep the Owls scoreless in the second and score seven straight goals through the second quarter and the start of the third to run out to an insurmountable lead before settling in for a 19-10 win. Wong would score seven more goals, while Santos had five steals and 16 saves. 

With the four losses Citrus drops to 11-10 on the year. The Owls will look to turn things around on Wednesday when they host Los Angeles Valley College in a crucial Western State Conference showdown. The game is set for a 3:30 PM start.