Chris Villanueva '09 scored four goals and assisted on three others, but the Whittier College men's water polo team lost its conference opener, 13-11 to nationally ranked #1 University of Redlands on October 10 in Whittier, Calif.  The loss drops the Poets' overall record to 4-13.

The Poets got off to a slow start, falling behind 5-1 at the end of the first quarter and 8-3 at halftime.  Villanueva scored all three of Whittier's first half goals.  After giving up a pair of goals to start the third, Matt Rogers '08 scored the first of his three goals on the day to make the score 10-4.  The teams traded goals again before the start of the fourth quarter; Manny Sanchez '08 scored with 19 seconds left in the stanza to make the score 11-5.  The Poet offense exploded in the fourth.  After Redlands scored to take a 12-5 lead, Whittier rattled off four straight to get within three.  Rogers scored three goals in that span and Sanchez added the other.  With 1:26 left in the game, Redlands added an insurance goal for a 13-9 lead.  Whittier kept fighting, however, and scored a pair of goals in the final minute but couldn't draw even, giving them the 13-11 loss.

Rogers had an assist to go with his hat trick.  Will Jackson '11 finished with a goal and two assists.  Tim Beck '10, Sam Benedum '09 and David Weed '11 were each credited with an assist.  Matt Brammer '09 was huge in goal, making 13 saves and seven steals.

The Poets are in action again on October 12, when they play host to Connecticut College.  The non-conference match-up takes place at 8pm in the Lillian Slade Aquatics Center.