California Baptist University
18-17, 3-3
5-seed Santa Clara
12-13, 2-4
CBU Holds Off Santa Clara to Reach The Second Round of the WCC Tournament
11/17/2023 4:14:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MALIBU - Competing in the inaugural event of anything brings a certain extra level of anticipation, but the West Coast Conference Men's Water Polo Tournament brought out a special defensive side of the Lancers today. The Lancers reigned in the Broncos on Friday afternoon, holding them to single digits for just the seventh time this season to earn an 11-7 victory.
Matt Olsen started things strong, scoring the first goal for CBU on the Lancers' first possession of the game. He made a habit of that as three of his game-high four goals came on the team's first possession of a period.
Generally known for his prowess for setting up the goals, fellow senior Thomas de Wit secured his third hat trick of the season while adding a pair of helpers to record a game-high five points. One of those assists came on a pass that covered half of the pool length, perfectly placed for captain Caleb Teraoka to one-time for a goal.
Obviously, scoring is the name of the game, but CBU's defense shined brightest today, clamping down on Santa Clara with four field blocks and 13 steals. At the same time, senior goalkeeper Trevor Benge posted his second-highest save total of his career, stopping 14 Broncos shots while playing all 32 minutes.
The Lancers face a stiff test on Saturday afternoon as they prepare to play top-seed and host Pepperdine in the semifinals. That game is set for 1:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Matt Olsen
7:24
Zach Fales
7:02
Cameron Cullen
6:36
Thomas de Wit
2:19
Toring Stanley
0:58
Matt Olsen
7:39
Gojko Kapovic
7:19
Caleb Teraoka
5:11
Billy Barry
4:59
Zach Fales
4:00
Logan Puhl
1:26
Matt Olsen
7:46
Thomas de Wit
6:54
Gojko Kapovic
6:13
Matt Olsen
5:29
Cody Ferguson
2:18
Thomas de Wit
1:55
Chase Raisin
1:01
Zach Fales
4:26
Reese Jenican
3:40
