Lancers Dominate Both Games in Joust Opener

Friday, October 11

Riverside, Calif.

12:00 PM

California Baptist University

Ottawa (Arizona)

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

Lancers Dominate Both Games in Joust Opener

10/11/2019 9:42:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

Photo Gallery

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University started the Lancer Joust with two emphatic wins, including its first Western Water Polo Association victory of the season, on Friday.

It was a total team effort in CBU's 24-4 win over Ottawa (Ariz.) in the afternoon, while center play dominated, scoring six goals in the Lancers' 13-9 conference triumph over Fresno Pacific at the Lancers Aquatics Center.

The Lancers and Sunbirds finally got their game in the evening after three separate delays that totaled 100 minutes. Senior centers Logan Mena and Matt Diacono combined for six goals against FPU. Mena had a team-high five points, with four goals and an assist, while Diacono scored twice.

"Six of the 13, almost half of our goals came from center," Coach Kevin Rosa said. "It was definitely our most productive position. Logan is always going to be there for us, and Diacono had a great game. We run our offense through center, so if they're scoring we are going to be tough to stop."

Zach Lowery had two goals and two assists on the Sunbirds, while goalie Gabe Thorne had 13 saves and a steal. Diacono and Mena scored five of CBU's first six goals.

🎩🎩🎩

Logan Mena has hat trick in the first half, and all of them have been well earned.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/iXTgXs3HrG
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 12, 2019

Joseph Galgani gave the Lancers their first lead of the game, 3-2, with a goal 26 seconds into the second quarter. Mena netted himself a first-half hat trick, while Diacono scored his second goal with 15 seconds left in the half to give the Lancers a 6-3 lead at halftime.

Matt Diacono POWERS his way to his second goal of the night to help give CBU a 6⃣➖3⃣ lead at halftime.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/TleNLGIW7w
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 12, 2019

CBU stretched its lead out to as many as four, 10-6, when Lowery scored with 1:28 left in the third quarter. FPU looked to make it a game, with consecutive goals to start the fourth.

Twenty-six seconds later, Hunter Barnett provided a big response with a goal off a Riley Bumgardner assist. It was the start of a 3-0 Lancer run that put the game away, with Lowery and Thomas de Wit finishing off the spurt.

No BAR, all NETT 😉

Hunter Barnett muscles home his first goal of the game off a great pass from Riley Bumgardner.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/wImCdRfW0t
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 12, 2019

Earlier Friday, CBU threatened to break several records in its Lancer Joust opener versus Ottawa. The Lancers' 24 goals were two off the program's single-game record, and ranked third in their history books. The 20-goal margin of victory was also the second-highest in CBU's record book.

"This afternoon's game was a nice maturity check to see if we were going to come out and do what we needed to do," Rosa said. "After a rough last weekend, we came out and looked good. Our defense was dialed in and we got some good goals on offense."

😲

Thomas de Wit may have treated us to the goal of the half. And there's been 14 of them from the Lancers!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/taJDzQ1xJF
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 11, 2019

Angel Sanchez, Kyle Johnson, Barnett and de Wit all had hat tricks in the game for the Lancers. It was Joseph Mireles who notched a game-high seven points with six assists and a goal, along with three steals.

☝️

CBU's had 12 goals already today, but this one is a little extra special, as true freshman Nick Flemington nets the first one of his career!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/oRs6yBWa7q
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 11, 2019

Sanchez (three assists, three steals) and Nick Flemington (two goals, four assists) were not far off Mireles with six points each. It was the first points of Flemington's career.

Mireles' six assists tied for CBU's single-game record. It's the third time a Lancer's had six assists in a game, with Christian Britton last doing it on October 20, 2018 against Wagner. Lowery also had four points (three assists).

Joseph Mireles logged a team-high 7⃣ points this afternoon against Ottawa (Ariz.), with 6⃣ assists and 1⃣ goal. The sophomore also had 3⃣ steals.

His 6⃣ assists tied for CBU's single-game record, becoming just the third Lancer to record 6⃣ assists in a game.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/A6uDzSQMc5
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 12, 2019

Britton's now had an assist in both games Friday, which gives him an assist in all 18 games this year. If he plays and notches an assist in both games Saturday, it will give him 20-straight games with an assist, which would be a CBU record. Chris Morgan currently holds the record with 19, which he did back in 2006.

📢 DIME ALERT 📢

A perfect cross-pool pass from Christian Britton leads to an easy one-time goal from PJ McDonough at the far post.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/1cxTkDqpkI
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) October 12, 2019

All three of the Lancers' goalies got in the game against Ottawa. Thorne did not give up a goal, with four saves and a steal in the first eight minutes. Tristan Felberg had four saves and two steals in 16 minutes, while David Romero had the first two saves and steals of his career in his first appearance for the Lancers.

"A bunch of guys chipped in and did good things today. Hopefully that raises team spirits and the confidence and we have two good games tomorrow," Rosa said.

Saturday's Lancer Joust schedule has been adjust, with CBU now playing the first two games. The Lancers will take on the Ottawa Spirit again at 8:30 a.m. and then face Austin at 10 a.m. CBU moves to 7-11, 1-2 in the WWPA on the year, while FPU drops to 3-14, 0-3 and Ottawa slides to 3-15.