THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Andre Rivas came up with 15 saves as the Cal Lutheran defense shut down the Occidental Tigers 8-4.
The win makes it eight in a row for Kingsmen water polo as they improved to 10-7 and 3-3 in SCIAC play. During the win streak, CLU has scored double-digits eight times and held their opponents under 10 four times. Their last two games, Cal Lutheran has held the opposition to under five points.
Occidental took the early lead as they scored on their first possession of the game. The Kingsmen defense tightened up after that and held the Tigers scoreless the rest of the first. The Violet and Gold offense responded and got on the board with 3:45 left as Stephen Blaauw scored on a breakaway after a heads-up pass from Rivas.
The Tigers started the second quarter just like the first and opened with a goal. The teams exchanged points over the next few minutes, Justin Krause scoring for the Kingsmen, as Oxy led 3-2 halfway through the quarter. Cal Lutheran had the chance to tie as Ben Brown took a penalty shot, but he hit his third post of the game and the Tigers held the lead. Rivas kept the Kingsmen in the game and made six saves throughout the first half ,with a couple down the stretch to keep it at a one-point game. Brown finally broke through with six seconds left as CLU tied the game right before the half.
After Occidental opened the third with a goal, Cal Lutheran was quick to answer as Blaauw added his second goal. With 4:47 left in the third, CLU took its first lead of the game. Tommy Corey converted on his chance, with the assist to Brown, and the Kingsmen were up 5-4. The defenses picked things back up, holding the offenses scoreless and CLU took a 5-4 lead to the fourth.
For the first time this game, it was Cal Lutheran that scored the first goal of a quarter as Dillon Goldsmith put the Kingsmen up 6-4. The defenses continued to shine as the low scoring game continued with CLU up 6-4 with 3 minutes left. The Kingsmen picked up the pace after that, adding a Wyatt Lowe goal with 2:55 left, and took a commanding 7-4 lead. The lead was too much to overcome for the Tigers as the Kingsmen took the game 8-4.
The Kingsmen defense was on-point all game long and picked it up in the fourth as they shut out the Tigers. Rivas came up with save after save and Brown added two steals. Goldsmith and Krause led defense with two field blocks each.
Blaauw led the way for the offense and had two goals. Six more Kingsmen scored a goal as they spread the wealth. Krause and Tanner Kaplan moved the ball around and dished out two assists each. Cole Weiderman got the Violet and Gold offense in good situations with three drawn ejections.
The Kingsmen aim at nine straight wins on Saturday as Cal Lutheran hits the road and travels to La Verne for a game at 11 a.m.
Box Score: CLU 8, OXY 4
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director