WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2023) – Whittier College's men's water polo team faced off against the University of La Verne on Wednesday night in a thrilling showdown between SCIAC foes. The Poets showcased their resilience throughout the contest, and received another incredible contribution from sophomore Brody Haney (Tustin, Calif. / Mt. Saint Mary's University).

Haney, who had stunned with eight-goal feats in two of the last three games, was once again showed his impressive form. While he couldn't replicate his eight-goal magic, he ensured that his presence was felt throughout, finding the back of the net multiple times in the early stages to give the Poets plenty of early momentum against La Verne.

Complementing Haney's frontline aggression was junior goalkeeper Kenshiro Matsuzawa (Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan / St. Francis Brooklyn). Matsuzawa put on another impressive display between the pipes, picking up eight crucial saves for the Poets. The junior transfer's sharp reflexes and commanding presence in the goal thwarted the Leopards at multiple turns, giving the Poets a chance to hang with a tough La Verne team in the game's middle stages. Further amplifying Whittier's attack was sophomore Alberto Seva (Barcelona, Spain / Westcliff University). The sophomore showcased his scoring prowess by netting the ball twice for the Purple & Gold, and managed to put his skill and accuracy on full display when he scored from nearly 25 feet out. The goal wowed Whittier fans in attendance, and Seva, who now has 22 goals on the year, will look to continue to provide supplemental scoring behind Haney. Senior center Ben Ramans (Los Altos, Calif. / Los Altos), meanwhile, scored his 24th goal of the season to put the Poets on the board initially, which is good for second on the team.

Despite the scoreline, Whittier managed to keep pace with La Verne in a competitive SCIAC game. The Poets kept pace with the Leopards on total shots, and the steal totals for both teams are further indicative of just how back-and-forth Wednesday night's game was.

Head Coach Preslav Djippov and the Poets will look to build on the effort, and bounce back when they host Long Island University on Monday, Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m.

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