Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Water Polo team swept the competition Saturday during the Whittier Open beating Grossmont College, Concordia (Calif.), and Riverside City.
Game 1 (Grossmont; W, 13-6)
Whittier jump-started the open against Grossmont College from San Diego and right off the bat added the first four goals of the contest to take a 4-0 lead after the first eight minutes.
They added another four in the second quarter to extend their lead to 8-0 at the half before adding another five in the second half en route to the lopsided victory.
Marko Monic (Zagreb, Croatia) led the Poets with three goals, while Massimiliano Mirarchi (Rome, Italy) finished with a pair.
Freshman Murat Ersoz (Istanbul, Turkey) got the start in between the posts and finished with six saves.
Game 2 (Concordia; W, 19-11)
In the second match-up, Whittier again jumped in front and didn't look back scoring on four of their first five possessions to lead 4-0 at the 5:19 mark.
The Eagles broke the run with a goal at the 3:21 mark and Mirarchi would wrap up the scoring with his third of the frame that moved the score to 5-2.
Julian Droetti (Irvine, Calif.) got the scoring started in the second quarter and Whittier would add another five soon after that would give them an 11-6 lead at intermission.
They would continue to roll in the second half outscoring Concordia 8-4 en route to rolling to the 19-10 win.
Mirarchi finished with six goals, Wedge Molthen (Buena Park, Calif.) totaled four and Monic had three.
Ersoz again played all 32 minutes finishing with eight saves.
Game 3 (Riverside City; W, 11-8)
The nightcap of the open proved to be a battle. Whittier outscored RCC 4-3 in the first quarter with three goals coming from Mirarchi. Each team added four in the second quarter but WC still held an 8-7 advantage at the half.
In the third, Whittier put together a strong defensive stand holding RCC to just one goal, while adding three themselves and that would be good enough to secure the 11-8 victory.
Mirarchi again led in the scoring with six goals, while Droetti had three. Ersoz finished with eight saves in the victory.
Whittier remains at home this Saturday, September 10 as they take on Occidental College (9:00am) and Loyola Marymount (3:00pm).
