Box Score 1 WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 11, 2025) – Sophomore center
Noah Bigara (Cape Town, South Africa / Pinnacle Schools) of the Whittier College men's water polo team led with four goals against unbeaten University of Redlands on Saturday morning, lifting the Poets offense in an uneven, up-and-down game.
Redlands 16, Whittier 12
The first of two Saturday home games required the Poets to erase a 7-3 first-quarter deficit, and over the last 24 minutes, Whittier matched Redlands with nine goals. In the second frame, the Poets tightened up defensively in front of goalkeeper
Jose Silva Zito (São Paulo, Brazil / Escola Viva / Golden West College), and the junior went on to make four stops over the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, it gave the home team enough momentum to make their move in the third quarter, hanging the same 7-3 score line from the first quarter back onto the Bulldogs.
Over a six-minute period between the end of the second period and the third period, Whittier outscored Redlands 8-1, tying the game on a nice goal from senior
Jaime Ariste (Madrid, Spain / South Eugene / Westcliff University | CIS Endicott International). Whittier ran out of gas down the stretch, but aside from the four goals and six drawn exclusions Bigara was able to give his team, classmate
Zander Montoya (La Verne, Calif. / Damien) also had a big game with three goals to go with two assists.
Whittier 16, Cuesta College 15
The Poets played a second game against Cuesta College on Saturday evening, contending while Head Coach
Preslav Djippov rested some players while giving others a chance to shine. In the end, the Poets were able to hold off a tough Cuesta team with juniors
Dylan Zeledon (Apopka, Fla. / Apopka) and
Connor Rocha (Paso Robles, Calif. / Paso Robles / Cuesta College) scoring goals to put the Purple & Gold over the top.
Djippov and the Poets will head to Caltech on Wednesday evening, then host Pomona-Pitzer Colleges in a special Friday night game at 7 p.m.
Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!
