ORANGE, Calif. — Ben Brown was on a roll, dominating all over the pool, as he tied the program record with eight goals and the California Lutheran University men's water polo team cruised to a 21-12 win against Chapman on Wednesday afternoon.
Three Kingsmen had previously scored eight goals in a game, dating back to 2004, '08 and '14. Brown flourished as the eight goals only took 10 shots. He did not stop there. Brown kept his teammates in the mix, dishing out a game-high four assists. The stellar play continued on the defensive end as he tallied three steals.
The Kingsmen improved to 9-1 in SCIAC, which are the most conference wins in a season in program history. Cal Lutheran also set the program record for most overall wins and are 17-3 on the season.
The Purple and Gold pounced on the Panthers at the very start, scoring an unprecedented nine goals in the first quarter. The Kingsmen held the Panthers to four goals as the defense set the tone for the match. Cal Lutheran carried over that momentum to the second quarter, outscoring Chapman 6-1, and had a 15-6 lead at the break.
The Kingsmen coasted the rest of the way as the rout was on. Cal Lutheran handled business on the road as they took down Chapman 21-12.
Benefitting from the hot hand of Brown, and on the receiving end of passes, Justin Krause scored four goals and Cormac Flanders added a hat trick. Six more Kingsmen scored a goal as it was an all-around showing. Stephen Blaauw was also in the mix as he dished out three assists.
Jonathan Salandi was in the cage and got the win. He turned back 17 saves for a save percentage of .586. He added one steal as he combined with the defense to shut down the Panthers.
The Kingsmen look to make it five straight wins on Friday. Cal Lutheran host Biola at 1 p.m. and then play Ottawa (Ariz.) at 4 p.m.
Box score: CLU 21, CU 12
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
