California Baptist University
Redlands
Best For Last
11/3/2013 12:10:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In its first action since a one-goal loss, California Baptist University found a way to win a close one of their own Saturday.
It came down to a defensive rivalry battle with the University of Redlands at CBU, as the Lancers came out on top 6-5. Both teams went into the fourth quarter tied at four goals apiece, but CBU saved its best frame for the end, outscoring Redlands 2-1 to secure the one-goal victory.
While it might have been a surprising finish after the Lancers bested Redlands by nine (12-3) back on Oct. 4, CBU still snapped its four-game losing streak and improved to 14-13 with the win over the Bulldogs. Redlands dropped to 14-13 in its second game of the day.
“It's always good to get a rivalry win,” head coach Rick Rowland said. “You could see how excited Redlands was, and there's always a good crowd here for this game.”
David Ring gave CBU its first lead when he scored the first goal of the final quarter on a six-on-five opportunity. The Lancers ran their man-advantage offense and got Jake Jizmejian a shot in the middle of the pool and just in front of the cage. Jake Jizmejian's shot was deflected but still got the Redlands goalie to react, allowing Ring to come in and punch the ball into the cage for a 5-4 CBU lead with 6:23 to play.
Like the rest of the Lancers, goalie Joseph Moorman saved his best for last, with three of his 13 saves coming in the fourth quarter. All three of his fourth-quarter blocks were dynamic and kept momentum and the lead with CBU.
“He was stellar, and I think he's probably the strongest freshman goalie in the country,” Rowland said of his man in the middle. “Freshmen goalies usually don't even get playing time and he's in there getting it done. He made huge blocks in the fourth quarter when they had good looks; he just helped us win the game.”
Moorman notched his final save of the game on a quality look from Redlands with 1:15 to play. CBU built on the block and scored 15 seconds later, as Cody Wetherbee lofted a pass down toward Keith Jizmejian, who tipped it in past the goalie for the first two-goal lead of the game for either side with one minute to play.
“We call that a redirect, we do that a lot in practice,” Rowland said of the play. “Keith Jizmejian caught the goalie off and it went right off his head and in. That was a good redirect.”
Redlands kept up the pressure and scored on a man-advantage of its own with 45 seconds left. CBU opted to run out the clock and not even attempt a shot on the ensuing possession, leaving the Bulldogs with about 18 seconds to try one last shot.
Wetherbee wrapped up the game for the Lancers with a steal down near the two-meter line with about four seconds to play.
Matt Puig and Wetherbee both finished with a game-high two goals for the Lancers. Puig opened the scoring with 6:26 to play in the first quarter before Redlands rattled off the next two goals for a 2-1 edge with 2:33 left in the second.
Puig scored again eight seconds before halftime, just after an exclusion, to knot the contest at two going into the break. Wetherbee scored both of his goals in the third quarter, with his last coming with 3:37 left in the frame, to level things headed into the final eight minutes.
“We play against each other a lot in club, so we know each other really well,” Rowland said of Redlands. “We both know each other probably too well. They played really well, it was a defensive battle.”
