The University of La Verne men's water polo team took on NCAA Division II Cal Baptist and NAIA scholarship Concordia (Calif.) on Friday at Lancer Invitational, coming up short in both games. On Saturday, the team traveled to Whittier to face the Poets and the Occidental College in non-conference action.
Lancer Invitational (Riverside, Calif.)
Cal Baptist 16, La Verne 14
The Leopards outscored the Lancers, 12-9, in the final three quarters but could not overcome a slow start.
After trading goals in the third, the Leopards took control of the fourth but the rally came up just short. After a quick Cal Baptist goal, Troy Williams and Viken Huening responded to get La Verne within 15-12. Andrew Phillips and Nick Estevez each added their second goals but the time ran out on the Leopards.
Cal Baptist started the game on a 5-0 run before Estevez stopped the bleeding with 1:53 remaining in the first quarter and took a 7-2 lead into the second.
Then the Leopard offense came to life. Phillips started the second frame with a goal just 29 seconds in, and Bryan Jimenez, Makai DeNeve-Arnam and Josh Vega all chipped in to trim the deficit to 10-6 heading into the break.
La Verne goalie Daniel Newell turned away nine shots, six in the crucial fourth quarter.
Cal Baptist's Cody Wetherbee led all players with five goals.
Concordia 19, La Verne 4
La Verne offense never got going in the second match of the day as it managed just one goal in each of the four quarters.
It started out promising for the Leopards. Matthew Vega got the Leopards on the board first about two minutes in and La Verne held the Eagles scoreless for the first four minutes of the game. But then Concordia's offense woke up and reeled off seven straight goals to run away from the Leopards.
Viken Huening netted two goals in the middle quarters and Jonathon Jarvis scored on in the fourth quarter.
Matthew Mundell of Concordia had a game-high five goals.
Daniel Newell made seven saves.
Whittier Mini Tournament (Whittier, Calif.)
Whittier 19, La Verne 8
In the second meeting between the two teams within the last week, Whittier started the game on a 7-0 an never looked back. La Verne played Whittier, which is ranked No. 20 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association among all varsity teams in the country, extremely tightly in a 16-14 loss.
The Leopards came alive in the fourth quarter with five goals, but it was too little, too late.
Matthew Vega notched a game-high four goals and Andrew Phillips had two.
Marko Zuric led all scorers with five.
La Verne 15, Occidental 11
Bryan Jimenez, Matthew Vega, Jonathon Jarvis and Josh Vega each put in three goals as the Leopards led wire-to-wire to beat Occidental, 15-11, in the final game of the weekend.
The Tigers got as close to 7-5 late in the second quarter on a goal by Dominic Rodriguez, but that was as close as they would get. The Leopards then rattled off four consecutive goals to pull away.
Makai DeNeve-Arnam added two goals and Troy Williams chipped in one.
The Leopards will enjoy a two-week break before resuming action as they co-host Gary Troyer Convergence on Oct. 3-4.
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