LA JOLLA, Calif. – It seems to have become a tradition at California Baptist University that the Lancers choose to challenge themselves with a season-opening contest against two of the premiere teams in college water polo.
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The 2016 season started no different. CBU put itself up against the two top-ranked teams in the NCAA, facing off with No. 1 UCLA and second-ranked USC on Saturday at UC San Diego's Triton Invitational. The No. 17 Lancers may have to wait a little longer before their first win of the season, however, after a 14-4 loss to UCLA and 16-3 defeat to USC, but they will be prepared for every opponent they face.
"Playing teams the caliber of USC and UCLA first show you where your weaknesses are," Coach
Kevin Rosa said. "It shows where you can make improvements. We know we aren't going to be scared going into any other games this year. We have played two of the best teams in the nation. We know where we can improve and hope to learn and be better next weekend."
Defensively, the Lancers were strong all day, thanks in large part to the goalkeeping of
Joseph Moorman. The senior accumulated 27 saves in seven quarters of play against two of the top offenses in the nation.
"I thought we worked hard in both games today," Rosa said. "There was some big positives, with the encouragement amongst the team and the fact that we never quit and were going 100 percent the whole game. We didn't get down and kept working."
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CBU was at its best in Saturday's finale against the Bruins. While CBU could not crack the cage in the first quarter, it held UCLA's prolific attack to just three goals.
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Tanner Shore got the Lancers on the board with a dish-and-drive goal from two-meters, which was assisted by
Caleb Rogers. It kept CBU within three, 4-1, of the Bruins five minutes before halftime.
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With 1:14 to go before the break,
Thomas Henline cashed in a long pass from
Teddy Forte – who had two assists in the game – to make it a five-goal deficit, 7-2, at half. The Lancers kept up the pressure on defense, as neither team scored in the first 4:20 into the third quarter. CBU broke the drought with Shore's second goal to cut the score to 7-3.
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Luke Schuler capped the scoring with his first goal of the season with 3:17 to play, bringing the score to 12-4.
USC Box Score
UCLA Box Score
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In the opener, CBU fell behind the Trojans 9-0 in the first half, despite a stellar performance from Moorman. The Riverside native had 15 saves, two steals and an assist over 24 minutes in the cage.
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It gave life to CBU's offense, which put together its best performance of the day in the third quarter, matching USC goal-for-goal in a 3-3 period. The Lancers even put together a 3-1 run to open the half.
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Elad Gunya scored the first goal of the year a minute and four seconds after halftime on a shot from deep. Thirty-one seconds later, Henline got on the board to make it 9-1 with 6:25 to go in the third. USC broke the run momentarily with a goal, before Forte sank a shot from the middle of the pool.
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