Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College men's water polo team coming off of a National Ranking of No. 2 in Div. III and No. 19 in the Varsity Polls lived up to their rankings as they rolled past La Verne 16-7 Wednesday night.
Whittier's defensive unit once again stood strong holding La Verne to just a goal in the first half, while they tallied eight to open up Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on the right track.
Despite holding a 3-1 lead after the first quarter with goals from Filip Delic (Split, Croatia), Nicolas Beavers (Long Beach, Calif.), and Wedge Molthen (Buena Park, Calif.) the Poets came out hot in the second with five straight goals from Goran Mataic (Split, Croatia), Beavers, Justin Pratt (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Kyle Catino (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) to open up their lead.
Opening up the third quarter the Poets continued where they left off storming out to a 12-2 lead with four goals from Molthen (2), and Douglas Marriott (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) (2). After Head Coach Justin Pudwill put in his reserves, La Verne managed to tally five more goals with three coming from Bryan Jimenez but it wouldn't be enough as Whittier would add another four goals, three coming in the final quarter from Daniel Castanoga (San Rafael, Calif.), Christian Sook (Hanford, Calif.) and Mataic.
Whittier returns to the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center during homecoming weekend as they host the University of Redlands, Saturday, October 19 beginning at 11:00am.
