Down to the Wire

Saturday, November 21

USAF Academy, Colo.

12:15 PM

California Baptist University

UC Davis

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

11/21/2015 2:05:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – While it may not have resulted in a win, California Baptist University saved one of its best performances for ninth-ranked and top-seeded UC Davis in the Western Water Polo Association semifinals Saturday.

CBU controlled the first half and nearly went blow-for-blow with the Aggies, with inspired play on defense and explosive offense. Nevertheless, UC Davis survived the Lancers, 14-13, at the Air Force Academy's Cadet Natatorium.

"This whole weekend so far we've played inspired," Coach Kevin Rosa said. "They're leaving it all in the pool, that's how you want to go out and that's what they're doing."

For the second year in a row, 19th-ranked and seventh-seeded CBU will play in the conference's third-place game against the loser of the semifinal between third-seed UC San Diego and fifth-seeded Air Force. The game will be played Sunday at 10:15 a.m. PT. The Lancers go into the game with a 17-13 record, while UC Davis will play the championship with at 18-7.

"The most important thing is just to finish off well," Rosa said. "We have played two great games up here, so let's go finish strong and play the inspired water polo we've shown the first two days here."

The Aggies held two-goal leads three times in the second half, but CBU never let up and nearly tied the game twice in the final minute. UC Davis received a big save from goalie Spencer Creed with 46 seconds left and the Lancers' final shot at the buzzer was off the mark to end the game in regulation.

Tanner Shore, David Ring and Teddy Forte each had hat tricks for CBU, while Clint Walling added four assists and three steals. Brent Teraoka had two goals, an assist and drawn ejection. Ring was the only Lancer to finish with a goal, assist and steal. Joseph Moorman had nine saves, two steals and an assist in the cage.

Despite not scoring first, the Lancers got out to another great start on Saturday. Ring got some help from his friends to get CBU on the board and tie things at 1-1. Teraoka drew an ejection before Walling threaded a pass to Ring that was one-timed into the cage. Tanner Shore then gave CBU its first lead, 2-1, when he scored from way outside.

In the final 37 seconds of the first quarter, defense led to two more Lancer goals. After a field block from Spencer Shore, Forte leaked out down the left side on the counter and scored an unmarked goal. Thomas Henline made it a two-goal lead when he scored with three seconds left in the quarter, following an off-target shot from the Aggies.

The Lancers built their lead up to a game-high three goals, 6-3, in the second quarter. Ryan Penney muscled home a two-meter goal, despite being swarmed by three defenders, and then Tanner Shore streaked down the pool after a Walling field block and lobbed his shot over the goalie.

UC Davis started making its push and went in front in the second half, grabbing two-goal leads at 9-7, 11-9 and 13-11. CBU never folded under the pressure.

"We adjusted focus and realized that everything this whole year is done for this tournament, so go out and give everything you can and play with no regrets," Rosa said. "Mentally, we were able to control our emotions. We did some good things and didn't bottom out when things went wrong."

With 4:50 left in the third, Forte fed two-meter and Ring sneaked in a goal with a backhand to the near post. Tanner and Spencer Shore tied the game back up 33 seconds later. The brothers worked a two-on-one counter attack, with Spencer firing a shot off the near post that ricocheted over to Tanner on the far post, allowing him to push home a wide-open goal.

UC Davis would go back up two again, but CBU countered when it earned an exclusion and worked quickly to get the ball to Ring, who scored his hat trick with 3:19 left in the third.

Forte gave CBU the first goal of the fourth quarter 17 seconds in, as he cut through the defense and one-timed a lob shot passed the goalie to tie things at 11.

With 4:31 to go, it appeared the Aggies had pulled away for good, with a 13-11 lead. Forte started another response from the Lancers when he buried his third goal of the game with 3:20 to play. UC Davis nearly put the game out of reach with 2:55 to play when a cross-pool pass gave it an open shot on goal, but Luke Schuler came out of nowhere and blocked it in the field to put the Lancers back on offense.

The ensuing counter attack led to a one-time pass from Ryan Sargis to Tucker Angelo that was rocketed home to tie things once again, 13-13, with 2:47 to play. Ido Goldschmidt came up with the game-winner – his seventh goal -- with 2:27 to play when he fired a deep shot into the cage with a defender in his face.

BOX SCORE