Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Water Polo team took on the Stags of Claremont-M-S Wednesday evening at the Lillian Slade Aquatic Center in a rematch of the 2015 SCIAC Men's Water Polo Championship.
The Purple & Gold avenged their overtime loss from a year ago pulling off the 11-7 victory that opened up Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play.
It was back and forth in the first quarter with the game being deadlocked at 3-3 following the eight minute period. Goals for Whittier came from Aidan Tol (Tustin, Calif.), Massimiliano Mirarchi (Rome, Italy) and Julian Droetti (Irvine, Calif.).
In the second, Mirarchi added the first two goals of the stanza that extended the Poet lead to two at 5-3. CMS would end the run soon after to pull within one but Droetti would come back to capitalize on a man-up opportunity with a goal with six seconds left to play in the half that sent WC into intermission leading 6-4.
It was all Whittier in the third outscoring the Stags 4-2, which included a 4-0 run that moved the score to 10-5. Mirarchi got the run going, while Droetti, Tol, and Emilio Maldonado (Chula Vista, Calif.) would add insurance.
CMS would add a late goal with under two minutes to play that stopped the bleeding and despite adding one more in the fourth it wouldn't be enough to top the Poets at home as Whittier would hold on for the 11-7 victory.
Mirarchi finished the game with four goals, while Droetti registered three.
Whittier hits the road to take on the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer, this Saturday, October 22 beginning at 11:00am before returning home in the afternoon to host the Alumni Game beginning at 3:00pm.
