California Baptist University
Vanguard University (Calif.)
The Lancer Lion-Tamers
11/19/2011 1:44:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- For the fourth time this season, No. 17 California Baptist University defeated the Vanguard Lions, this time with a score of 12-9 in a physical game that included 25 combined exclusions for both teams.
"We let their physical play get the best of us," Head Coach Rick Rowland said. "We were in the ejection box a little bit too much but we overcame."
Leading the Lancers offensively, Scott Gleason scored five goals including one of CBU's three successful 6-on-5 attempts. Chris Toy added another advantage goal for his hat-trick that also included the Lancers final go-ahead goal to put CBU up 7-6 with 2:57 left in the third quarter.
Defensively, CBU held the Lions to just four 6-on-5 goals in 14 opportunities.
"[Goalkeeper] Austen Ramer carried us in the cage," Rowland said. "He blocked just about everything you can block; a 5-meter, a 6-on-5, one on nobody, 2-meter shot. He was on it."
Ramer finished with 16 saves.
Despite five ties throughout the game, CBU trailed only once; after a made penalty shot by Vanguard following a consequential foul just under a minute and a half into the first quarter.
For CBU, Toy struck first with Gleason following shortly after with a penalty goal of his own at 4:01 remaining in the first.
Tied at two entering the second quarter, Evan Vardayou found the back of the net before the Lions answered a minute later. Goals from Gleason and Jeremy Atkinson pushed the Lancer lead to 5-3 before another Vanguard penalty with 45 remaining seconds cut CBU's lead to just one heading into halftime.
Tied at 6-6 with 3:36 remaining, CBU jumped on a three goal run that included Toy's 6-on-5 goal, another penalty shot from Gleason and a quick turn-around goal from Danny Mundy.
"We had a lot of guys in foul trouble and we rotated a lot of different people in," Rowland said. "A guy coming off the bench like Danny Mundy, puts in a really key shot."
CBU lost their three goal cushion quickly, as Vanguard scored two unanswered within the first minute and a half of the final quarter, cutting the Lancer lead to just one and forcing CBU to call a timeout.
"They kept battling and we were able to pull away but we couldn't expand on the lead like we would have liked," Rowland said.
Cushion goals late from Peter Hines and Gleason closed out the game for CBU.
"You play a team four times and go 4-0 on them, it is always a good thing," Rowland said. "Sometime it's not the prettiest win because we know each other a little too well."
A week ago on Nov. 11, Rowland and company achieved CBU's 300th program victory with a 12-7 win over Vanguard in Costa Mesa.
Now at 23-8, the Lancers head into the final day of the 2011 season with opponents Fresno Pacific and Concordia awaiting them. CBU faces off against FPU at 9 a.m. with senior recognitions preceding the game in the Lancer Aquatics Center. The Lancers will then finish their year with a rematch against Concordia at 3:30 p.m.
"We got the win and we put the game behind us and move onto tomorrow and bigger things," Rowland said.
