SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Little has separated California Baptist University from any team it faces in the Western Water Polo Association Championship in recent years, and the 2016 conference tournament semifinals were no different when the fourth-seeded Lancers faced top-seed and eighth-ranked UC Davis.
For the second year in a row, it all came down to one goal with 15
th-ranked CBU shocking its heavily favored opponents once again. The Lancers did it a different way this season, with a strong defensive performance. Unfortunately for CBU, UC Davis held on for the 5-4 win on Saturday at Santa Clara's Sullivan Aquatic Center after winning a shootout, 14-13, last year.
UC Davis moves onto the WWPA Championship finals on Sunday, with a 22-5 record, and at 22-10, CBU will play in the conference third-place game against the loser of Saturday's game between second-seeded UC San Diego and No. 3 Loyola Marymount at 11:15 a.m.
Down 5-3 with 4:57 to play in the third quarter,
Tanner Shore kept the Lancers in it when he skipped a shot off the water and into the cage 18 seconds later. Goalie
Joseph Moorman kept UC Davis out of the cage in the final 12:53 of the contest, with seven saves over that span, including one on a five-meter penalty shot.
Overall, Moorman blocked 15 shots in the game and Shore forced six turnovers, won two sprints and picked up a field block.
Jonathan Lotero drew two exclusions and scored for CBU, as well.
Lotero's goal came 3:05 into the game and got the Lancers on the board to create a 1-1 tie. UC Davis closed out the first quarter with consecutive goals to take a 3-1 lead into the second period.
Thomas Henline fired a shot through two field players off a cross-cage pass from
Elad Gunya to make it 3-2 1:16 into the frame.
Royce Daniel Laverne tied things back up at 3-3 near the middle point of the quarter when he rifled one home off a Shore pass. CBU won the second quarter, 2-1, but still went into halftime down, 4-3, after UC Davis scored with 3:36 left in the half.
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