Box Score Photos by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Men's Water Polo team made history Sunday winning the school's first ever Division III team National Championship as they held off Claremont-M-S 5-3 at the Slade Aquatic Center to clinch the inaugural Div. III National Collegiate Water Polo Championships.
Whittier ends 2019 with a 21-12, 13-1 SCIAC record and have now beaten Claremont-M-S four times on the year with an impressive 3-1 record. The 21 victories also move them into 2nd place in the program record books for most wins in a single season.
The Purple & Gold completed the trifecta on the year winning the SCIAC Regular Season Championship, the SCIAC Post Season Tournament Title and now the inaugural Div. III National Collegiate Water Polo Championships. They protected their home by going a perfect 12-0, they also ended 2019 on a seven-game winning streak and won 11 of their last 12.
It was a low scoring affair with a combined eight goals being scored. For Whittier all five came in the first half and that proved enough as they would hold CMS to just one-goal in the second half en route to the two-goal victory.
Micah Kamai (Irvine, Calif.) got the Poets on the scoreboard with a connection inside set to start the game off. But that lead soon evaporated as CMS would tack on two of their own to go in front 2-1 after the 1st Quarter. The story of the game was the second stanza where WC outscored the Stags 4-0, which proved crucial. Dominick Nevarez (Norwalk, Calif.) got the run going getting fed by Eric Borunda (Whittier, Calif.) on their opening possession. Two minutes later Maxwell Murphy (Orinda, Calif.) connected for his first of the game again getting fed by Borunda, while giving WC a 3-2 lead. After that the game was back and forth until the 2:38 mark when Borunda found the back of the goal for the eventual game-winner. The final goal of the period from Carlos Heredia Viteri (Commerce, Calif.) would prove insurance as Whittier would take a 5-2 lead into the break.
It was a scoreless 3rd Quarter, which kept the margin at three and despite the Stags adding a goal late in the 4th to stay within striking distance it wouldn't be enough to upset the top seeded Poets.
Murat Ersoz (Istanbul, Turkey) had the game of his career between the posts finishing with 15 saves and an .833 save percentage as he was named the Championship MVP.
