Early Run Fuels CBU to Historic Win

Friday, October 28

Riverside, Calif.

6:00 PM

California Baptist University

Santa Clara

Photo by: Jessica Castellano

Early Run Fuels CBU to Historic Win

10/28/2016 8:00:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – With a first-half shutout, there was little California Baptist University could have done better in the first 16 minutes of its Western Water Polo Association game with Santa Clara on Friday night.

It set the 14^th-ranked Lancers up for a 13-8 victory over the Broncos at the Lancer Aquatics Center, as they improved to 18-8, 2-2 in WWPA to set a program record for single-season wins in the NCAA era (2013-16). Santa Clara slid to 10-12, 2-2 on the year.

"It was a good start," Coach Kevin Rosa said. "We played within ourselves. If the counterattack was there we took it; if not, we relaxed and got the ball to Jonny [Lotero]. If we get the ball to him in space, good things are going to happen."

Jonathan Lotero's presence at two-meter certainly helped the Lancers launch their opening 9-0 run. He converted chance after chance at two-meter, giving him 15 goals in the last 10 games since he returned from an injury.

"He's starting to feel better, and you can see it at practice, too," Rosa said of Lotero. "He's so explosive and it just took him a little to get back into it. He's pretty dynamic."

Lotero pushed all the praise to his teammates and their ability to integrate him back into the offense over the last three weeks.

"We just wanted to come out aggressive as a team, we didn't want to come out soft, and I think we did that well today," Lotero said. "I am feeling more and more confident, my teammates have really helped me get back into it."

Lotero and Brent Teraoka each scored hat tricks in the game, while Elad Gunya and Tanner Shore added two goals apiece. Joseph Moorman posted 14 saves and two steals, while Shore added two steals, as well.

Offensively, CBU may have scored the first nine goals of the game, but its defense was the key to the dominant opening. Moorman logged seven saves in the first quarter, as his defense funneled him the ball.

"It was all positioning," Rosa said of his defense. "We forced them to take the shots where we wanted them to."

"We were really active, forcing shots from bad angles and Joey had a great game," Lotero said.

Ball movement led the Lancers to a wealth of goals in the first half, with seven of their first nine goals coming on assists. Lotero scored all three of his goals in the first 15 minutes, 10 seconds of the game. Teraoka and Gunya also scored twice in the opening 9-0 run.

"We trusted each other, we were getting out on the counter, setting up our offense and then making the right passes," Lotero said.

There is little time for CBU to celebrate, as it heads into two games on Saturday. The Lancers face 20^th-ranked Loyola Marymount in a WWPA affair on the road at noon and then conclude the day at Redlands for a non-conference game at 7 p.m.