Water Polo Has Strong Second Day at Claremont Convergence

Whittier College men's water polo traveled to Claremont, Calif., and played four games in the Claremont Convergence Tournament on October 5 and 6.  The Poets began the weekend with 13-4 and 11-4 losses to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Division I, #20 Santa Clara University, respectively, on day one.  They picked up a win on the second day against California State University, Maritime by a score of 13-6 before wrapping up the weekend with a 14-12 overtime loss to Division I Concordia University.

Against MIT, Will Jackson '11 scored twice to lead the Poet offense.  Chris Villanueva '09 added a goal and an assist.  Matt Rogers '08 also scored a goal and Manny Sanchez '08 had an assist.  Matt Brammer '09 made ten saves in goal.

Villanueva scored a pair of goals and assisted on another in the loss to Santa Clara.  Sanchez added a goal and an assist.  Jackson provided the Poets other goal.  Brammer was huge in goal once again, this time with eleven saves.  He helped out the offense with a pair of assists.

Whittier's offense exploded on day two with 25 goals on day two.  Rogers scored four of the Poets' 13 goals against Maritime.  He also had an assist.  Sanchez had a hat trick, three assists and two steals.  Sean Larsen '10 got himself in the scoring action with three goals of his own and assisted on two others.  Villanueva added a goal and dished out four assists.  Brammer stumped the Maritime attack with 13 saves. 

In the tournament finale, Rogers scored three goals and had two assists.  Sanchez and Villanueva also had hat tricks; Villanueva also had an assist.  Jackson pitched in with a pair of goals and four assists.  Larsen also scored a goal and Tim Beck '10 handed out two assists.

The Poets begin play in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference against the University of Redlands on October 10.  They host the Bulldogs at the Lillian Slade Aquatics Center at 4pm.