Sept. 13, 2008

Redlands, Calif- The Pacific men's water polo team started off the 2008 Inland Empire Classic strong on Saturday September 13 with a 10-8 victory over No. 16 University of Redlands Bulldogs. The victory moved the Tigers to 2-3 overall, while the Bulldogs fell to 3-3 overall.

Pacific came flying out of the gate to start the game, pushing hard on the offensive end. They charged out to a 4-0 lead early, behind steady offensive production from senior Shane Mahoney (Lodi, Calif.) who totaled four goals on the game to lead the Tigers. The defenses battled back and forth for some time, but Redlands mounted a small comeback towards the end of the quarter to bring the score back to a 4-2 Tiger lead.

The second quarter proved to be a more difficult task for Pacific, as they were outscored by the Bulldogs 3-2 in the period. The Redlands' offense put the pressure on the Tigers heading into halftime, as they only trailed by one, down 6-5.

The second half of play began in similar fashion as the start of the game for the Tigers, with aggressive offense early getting a lead and strong defense to finish out the quarter. Pacific shutout Redlands in the quarter, 2-0, to take an 8-5 lead in the game.

The fourth and final quarter saw the Tigers close out the Bulldogs, despite being outscored 3-2 in the period. Pacific scored early to increase its lead and was able to settle in on defense at that point. As the clock wound down to zero, the Tigers came away victorious with a solid 10-8 win over Redlands.

Pacific was led by the versatile attack of Mahoney and his four goals. Junior Grant Hollis (Redlands, Calif.) and sophomore Lorin Bartlett (Porterville, Calif.) each had two goals apiece, while senior William Milcovich (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and sophomore Austin Delong (Houston, Texas) had one goal each.

Freshman Tyler Reardon (Oak Park, Calif.) had a career-high three assists, while senior goalie Brian Domecus (Vallejo, Calif.) continued his stellar play with 15 saves on the game.

The Tigers are next in action on Saturday September 13, at 12:45 pm as they take on Occidental University for the second game of the 2008 Inland Empire Classic.

For full tournament results go to: http://www.goredlands.com/sports/mwp/2008-09/IE_Classic