CBU Speeds Past Mercyhurst

Friday, September 28

Riverside, Calif.

12:00 PM

California Baptist University

USC

Photo by: Dwain Linden

CBU Speeds Past Mercyhurst

9/28/2018 9:15:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Four different Lancers netted hat tricks, while California Baptist University tied its season-high for goals in a game in a 20-6 win over Mercyhurst Friday night.

It earned the 14^th-ranked Lancers a split on day one of the Lancer Joust, as they fell to No. 1-ranked USC earlier, 15-6. PJ McDonough led CBU with six goals on the day, opening with two on the Trojans and then notching a game-high four on the Lakers.

"We had the right mindset, we had a good competitive game in the morning and then came out on the attack in the evening," Coach Kevin Rosa said.

CBU remains an even record of 8-8, while USC's undefeated season continued to 14-0 and Mercyhurst dropped to 11-4 on the year.

The Lancers and Lakers will face off again to start day two of the Lancer Joust at 9:30 a.m., and CBU will then get an early non-conference look at Western Water Polo Association member Concordia at 11 a.m. before ending the tournament with an exhibition versus Riverside City College at 5 p.m.

Dominick Nevarez and Logan Mena both tallied five points on the day with four goals and one assist each, while Mena drew six ejections and had four steals. Hunter Barnett added three goals overall, while Kyle Rasmussen and Nick Johnson scored twice each on the day.

The Lancers erupted for the first 10 goals of the game against Mercyhurst, with Mena getting his hat trick nine minutes, 36 seconds into the game, while Nevarez and McDonough both scored twice in the opening run that ended halfway through the second quarter.

"That's what we want to do, it's happening on the counter attack for us," Rosa said. "We were getting the easy transition goals. When you're two-on-one or four-on-two, that's going to swing things in your favor."

It was plenty of cushion to put the Lakers away, as the 14-goal win was CBU's most lopsided victory of the season and was tied for the 10^th greatest in program history.

CBU hung tight with USC in the first quarter. The Trojans scored twice just over two minutes into the game, but the Lancers got on the board halfway through the opening frame on a Dominick Nevarez goal. Logan Mena created the opportunity by drawing an ejection at five meters and then feeding Nevarez, who pump faked and then rifled a shot high at the near post.

USC scored on the ensuing possession, but the Lancers answered right back when Ryan Sargis took a pass from Riley Bumgardner and scored on a pretty skip shot from about the five-meter line to make it 3-2.

The Trojans added another goal before the first quarter ended to take a 4-2 lead into the break and then scored the first three goals of the second frame to go up 7-2.

"We hung in there well in the first half and played some good defense," Rosa said. "It was a two-goal game in the first quarter, but we got tired and if you give them an inch they're going to exploit it."

McDonough netted the Lancers' only goal of the second frame and also provided the last goal of the contest, which included a goal each from Mena and Kyle Rasmussen.

"We worked hard and stayed in it. I really liked how the second unit played, they scored four of our goals, they got in there and weren't intimidated," Rosa said of the goals from McDonough, Rasmussen and Ryan Sargis.