California Baptist University
Santa Clara
Bucking Broncos
10/10/2014 6:41:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
Box Score
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – For the second game in a row, California Baptist University threatened to unseed a top-15 team in the country, facing Santa Clara in its second Western Water Polo Association game of the year.
The Broncos escaped the Lancer Aquatic Center with a one-goal victory, 9-8, after draining the last minute or so off the clock. CBU moved to 12-8, 1-1 in conference and Santa Clara improved to 8-6, 1-0.
Joseph Moorman had nine saves in the game for CBU. Cody Wetherbee netted a hat trick in the loss for CBU, which suffered its first home loss of the season with the result, scoring twice in the third quarter. Eric Carnohan continued his late-game heroics for the Lancers, as well, scoring both of his goals over the final eight minutes, but it just was not enough.
The Lancers opened strong again Friday, taking a two-goal lead two minutes in after goals from Wetherbee and David Ring. A Jake Jizmejian tally made it 3-1 for CBU before the Broncos narrowed the deficit to one, 3-2, at the break and then turned it into a 4-3 lead at halftime.
CBU entered the fourth quarter down two, 7-5, and found itself down three after a goal from the Broncos' Matt Kochalko 1:20 into the frame. The Lancers began to build momentum when Wetherbee drew a five-meter penalty shot. Carnohan took the shot, got the goalie leaning the wrong way and skipped it into the top left shelf to make CBU's deficit 8-6 with 5:34 to play.
Spencer Shore inched the Lancers even closer, scoring just 37 seconds later to bring things to 8-7. Goals were hard to come by the rest of the way, and Santa Clara was the one to break the more than three-and-a-half minute scoring drought with a tally from Evan Chang.
With a 9-7 cushion and just 1:18 to play, the Broncos began to stall and use as much of the clock as possible. The Lancers still had hope when they secured a six-on-five chance with 1:05 remaining, but they came up just shy of the goal they needed. Carnohan pulled the home team back within a goal, 9-8, with 14 seconds left but it was too late for much else.
CBU, which entered the week receiving votes, will still look to move up the NCAA rankings after defeating No. 11 UC Davis Thursday, before beginning a seven-game road trip. The Lancers play two nonconference games against Claremont Mudd-Scripps and Redlands Saturday before resuming WWPA play at UC San Diego and Fresno Pacific next Friday and Oct. 23rd, respectively.
