REDLANDS, Calif. – The Whittier College men's water polo team remained unbeaten Saturday afternoon as they beat the Bulldogs of the University of Redlands 15-14 to move up in the WWPA Rankings to No. 6.
Redlands who was ranked higher in the polls going into the match-up dropped into last place after Whittier earned their eighth win of the season and their third straight SCIAC victory behind five goals from Goran Mataic.
The previous time these two teams met during the Inland Empire Classic back on September 9 the Bulldogs were on the winning side of a 17-11 victory.
This time around the outcome was different as Whittier fought to grab their third straight SCIAC victory after beating Caltech and La Verne in their previous two match-ups. The Poets jumped out in front 1-0 thirty seconds in on their first possession from Mataic and then went out in front at the 6:15 mark once again 2-1 after a goal from Douglas Marriott. After Redlands tallied another goal to even the score up at 2-2, Whittier added back to back goals from Mataic and Kurt Holzmuller to take their third lead of the game at 4-2.
With under a minute to go in the first, Redlands capitalized on a Whittier exclusion to pull within one at 4-3.
To open the second Whittier added two quick goals one being on a man-up situation from Michael Eachus and Justin Pratt that put the Poets out in front 6-3. After another Bulldog goal, Mataic came down with 2:55 to go in the half and found the back of the net for his third goal of the game that put Whittier in front once again by three at 7-4. But Redlands didn't go away and continued to chip away at the lead and again pulled within two with a goal at the 1:46 mark and that's all the offense that would accumulate in the first half.
Coming out in the third, four exclusions were called, three on Whittier and one on Redlands but the Bulldogs were the only team able to capitalize on the man-up situation pulling within one at 7-6. After Whittier added to their lead from Eachus, Redlands came down on their next possession to again pull within one at 8-7. With 2:43 to go in the third, the Poets outscored the Bulldogs 2-1 to maintain their two goal advantage thanks to goals from Marriott and Christian Sook.
The Purple & Gold came out in the fourth and extended their lead to four getting two straight from Marriott and Sook until Redlands answered with a 3-0 run of their own to pull within one once again at 12-11 with 4:21 to play. But again Whittier didn't falter and saw Mataic again put the Poets out in front by two 13-11.
After Redlands added one more to their score, Whittier put together one last push adding two unanswered from Mataic and Eachus that put Whittier in front by three 15-12. With one last ditch effort with just under a minute and a half to play, Redlands clawed their way back to score two to pull within one but with 36 seconds remaining Whittier was able to hold onto the ball preserving the one goal victory.
The Poets continue with SCIAC play as they open up a two game home stand beginning with Cal Lutheran University on Wednesday, October 17 beginning at 4:00pm before taking on Occidental College on Saturday, October 20 beginning at 11:00am.
