Nov 22, 2009

Santa Clara knocks off Whittier in third place game

Photo by: Paul Adams

ORANGE, Calif. - The Whittier College men's water polo team finished fourth at the Western Water Polo Association Championships at Chapman University as it dropped its final game of the season, 17-9, to Santa Clara in the third place game on Sunday afternoon.

The Poets (20-14) claimed an upset over the second-seeded Air Force Falcons on Friday morning which put them in the semifinals and guaranteed the purple and gold a finish no worse than fourth.

The fourth place finish was the highest the purple and gold have ever finished in the WWPA Championships.

The Broncos jumped out to a 5-0 first quarter lead and stretched its lead to 8-0 with 43 seconds until halftime before the Poets finally generated some offense. Lincoln Haley scored on an assist by Uriel Villa to end the Poets' scoring drought and make the score 8-1 at halftime.

Whittier founds its offense in the second half as it managed eight goals but it was too little, too late. The Broncos held a 13-4 lead at the end of the third quarter and went on for the eight-goal win.

Villa tallied a team-high three assists and added two goals to lead the offense. Alex Perry added a pair of goals as did Robert Nihei and Will Jackson.

In other action during the WWPA Championships, Division III No. 1 Redlands finished in seventh place after it defeated host Chapman. UC Davis finished in fifth place as it beat the tournament's second seed, Air Force.

The championship game and the program that will advance to the NCAA National Semifinals will be either Loyola Marymount or UC San Diego.