Box Score
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Over the past week or so, California Baptist University has wreaked havoc on several of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA. The Lancers were in search of their biggest win yet when they visited sixth-ranked and reigning Western Water Polo Association champion UC San Diego Friday night.
From start to finish, CBU had the Tritons, who were the preseason pick to win the WWPA again, sweating. Trailing by just one with over three minutes to play, the Lancers just missed out on their second upset in as many weeks in a 12-9 loss. CBU falls to 13-10, 1-2 in conference and UCSD is up to 9-8, 4-0.
Unlike its 10-9 upset of then-ranked No. 11 UC Davis last Thursday, CBU found itself down early after the Tritons scored the first two goals of the game. The Lancers launched a 3-0 run from there, with Brent Teraoka sandwiching an Elad Gunya score with a goal of his own, to give the visitors their first lead of the night, 3-2, with 5:27 to go in the first.Consecutive UCSD goals served as a precursor to two CBU goals from Teraoka and Jizmejian, as the score was evened again at 6-6 with 1:12 to go in the third. A Matt Michalko goal that came 34 seconds before the fourth frame put the Tritons ahead, 7-6, and started a 3-0 run that ended 6:23 left in regulation with the Tritons up 9-6.
There was no quit from the Lancers, who received two goals from
David Ring at the 5:20 and 3:57 marks and another from
Spencer Shore with 3:06 remaining to pull back within a goal, 10-9.
With all the pressure shifted back to UC San Diego, the home team received a crucial goal 44 seconds later from Michalko to keep CBU from tying the score again. Luca De Vivo scored an insurance goal for the Tritons with 1:39 to play to just edge the Lancers, 12-9.
While Ring got hot late for the Lancers, scoring both of his goals over the final 5:20, Teraoka finished with a game-high three goals for CBU. Along with Shore and Gunya,
Jake Jizmejian and
Nick Candau each logged goals in the loss.
Joseph Moorman continued his MVP-like season with 16 saves in the cage.Â
The Lancers will look to regroup from the loss with a trip to Fresno Pacific next Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. start time.
