Friday, November 22
Riverside, Calif.
11:00 AM
California Baptist University
12
vs
6
Concordia
CBU Defeats Concordia, Advances to WWPA Semis
11/22/2019 1:31:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
RIVERSIDE – A dominant start fueled California Baptist University to a comfortable 12-6 win over Concordia in the first round of the Western Water Polo Association Championships on Friday.
The 17th-ranked Lancers opened the game on a 7-0 run to defeat the Eagles for the third time this season at the Lancer Aquatics Center. It puts CBU into the WWPA Championship semifinals for the fifth time in the last six years, and increased its record to 16-14, while dropping Concordia to 9-17.
"Mentally and physically, we came out like we should," Coach Kevin Rosa said. "We are at the point of the season where we should be doing that. Everything was dialed in, and if there were any mistakes we covered for them. We were pretty consistent and eliminated any lulls."
Top-seeded UC Davis is waiting for California Baptist in the semis on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The 10th-ranked Aggies defeated eighth-seeded Fresno Pacific, 21-3.
Junior goalie Gabe Thorne had one of the best games of the year in the cage, with 11 saves for a 73.3 save percentage (11-15) and four steals in 26 minutes. Senior two-meter Logan Mena led the offense, as he scored the first two goals of the game before he finished with a hat trick and assist.
"I thought Gabe played a great game for us, and Logan got us going right away," Rosa said. "Those are two leaders of the team starting us out well."
Zach Lowery and PJ McDonough both logged two goals and an assist for CBU, while Riley Bumgardner posted two assists and a goal. Christian Britton notched two assists, while Joseph Galgani, Matthew Diacono and Angel Sanchez each had two steals.
Sanchez and Galgani both scored, as well, as Galgani extended his point and goal streaks to 24 and 15 games, respectively.
Mena scored two goals in less than three minutes from center. Kyle Johnson, Lowery and Sanchez all scored before the first quarter was over, as CBU went into the second frame up 5-0. Scores from Galgani and McDonough kept the good times rolling, as the Lancers went up 7-0 halfway through the second quarter.
It was a far cry from the 4-0 deficit CBU found itself in the last time it played Concordia in Irvine on Nov. 8. The Lancers eventually pulled out the 13-11 win on a game-ending, 7-2 run but they learned their lesson.
"The worst thing for Concordia may have been them jumping on us 4-0 the last time we played," Rosa said. "We understood we were going to be in for a dogfight if we sat around and let them take it to us. We executed and took it to them right off the bat, so we weren't playing from behind."
The Lancers' defense shut Concordia out for about the first 14 minutes, with the Eagles getting on the board with 2:10 left in the first half. CUI scored two in a row, but CBU answered right back with two straight of its own, thanks to Bumgardner and McDonough, to give CBU a 9-2 lead with 4:15 remaining.
Saturday will mark the third time CBU and UC Davis have faced off in the WWPA Championship semifinals. The Aggies have won both games by one goal, with a 5-4 win in 2016 and a 14-13 victory in 2015.
"You can't gameplan for one or two guys with UC Davis, you just have to be fundamentally sound," Rosa said. "They are going to attack at every position and have set plays that are ran well. They have a huge center, lefties and righties; it's difficult to gameplan because you have to be solid in all areas. That's what this time of year is all about. We have to earn it, and we will be ready."
The 17th-ranked Lancers opened the game on a 7-0 run to defeat the Eagles for the third time this season at the Lancer Aquatics Center. It puts CBU into the WWPA Championship semifinals for the fifth time in the last six years, and increased its record to 16-14, while dropping Concordia to 9-17.
"Mentally and physically, we came out like we should," Coach Kevin Rosa said. "We are at the point of the season where we should be doing that. Everything was dialed in, and if there were any mistakes we covered for them. We were pretty consistent and eliminated any lulls."
Top-seeded UC Davis is waiting for California Baptist in the semis on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The 10th-ranked Aggies defeated eighth-seeded Fresno Pacific, 21-3.
💪
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) November 22, 2019
Gabe Thorne runs his save total up to 1⃣4⃣ in three quarters.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/6PqJixMqxD
Junior goalie Gabe Thorne had one of the best games of the year in the cage, with 11 saves for a 73.3 save percentage (11-15) and four steals in 26 minutes. Senior two-meter Logan Mena led the offense, as he scored the first two goals of the game before he finished with a hat trick and assist.
"I thought Gabe played a great game for us, and Logan got us going right away," Rosa said. "Those are two leaders of the team starting us out well."
✌
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) November 22, 2019
Logan Mena goes back-to-back for his second goal in less than three minutes!#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/D8jSsSnnkk
Zach Lowery and PJ McDonough both logged two goals and an assist for CBU, while Riley Bumgardner posted two assists and a goal. Christian Britton notched two assists, while Joseph Galgani, Matthew Diacono and Angel Sanchez each had two steals.
Sanchez and Galgani both scored, as well, as Galgani extended his point and goal streaks to 24 and 15 games, respectively.
2⃣ 🇪🇿
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) November 22, 2019
The big man, Logan Mena, assists on this Joseph Galgani goal. Galgani now has 24-straight games with a point and 15 in a row with a goal.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/aaIrGaT9pS
Mena scored two goals in less than three minutes from center. Kyle Johnson, Lowery and Sanchez all scored before the first quarter was over, as CBU went into the second frame up 5-0. Scores from Galgani and McDonough kept the good times rolling, as the Lancers went up 7-0 halfway through the second quarter.
Hand ⬇, Bar ⬇
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) November 22, 2019
Angel Sanchez strikes for CBU's fourth goal of the game.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/b1Rn4ftMMj
It was a far cry from the 4-0 deficit CBU found itself in the last time it played Concordia in Irvine on Nov. 8. The Lancers eventually pulled out the 13-11 win on a game-ending, 7-2 run but they learned their lesson.
"The worst thing for Concordia may have been them jumping on us 4-0 the last time we played," Rosa said. "We understood we were going to be in for a dogfight if we sat around and let them take it to us. We executed and took it to them right off the bat, so we weren't playing from behind."
The Lancers' defense shut Concordia out for about the first 14 minutes, with the Eagles getting on the board with 2:10 left in the first half. CUI scored two in a row, but CBU answered right back with two straight of its own, thanks to Bumgardner and McDonough, to give CBU a 9-2 lead with 4:15 remaining.
Britton to McDonough, it's like 🕰 work.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/ZYS2mY54QO
— CBU Men's Water Polo (@LancerWaterPolo) November 22, 2019
Saturday will mark the third time CBU and UC Davis have faced off in the WWPA Championship semifinals. The Aggies have won both games by one goal, with a 5-4 win in 2016 and a 14-13 victory in 2015.
"You can't gameplan for one or two guys with UC Davis, you just have to be fundamentally sound," Rosa said. "They are going to attack at every position and have set plays that are ran well. They have a huge center, lefties and righties; it's difficult to gameplan because you have to be solid in all areas. That's what this time of year is all about. We have to earn it, and we will be ready."
Players Mentioned
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
2MD
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
ATT
/ Men's Water Polo
G
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