STOCKTON , Calif. – The No. 4 Pacific Men's Water Polo team doubled up the No. 14 George Washington Colonials after one half of play and never looked back en route to a 19-11 win on Thursday night at Chris Kjeldsen Pool. Led by hat tricks from Engin Ege Colak, Luis Araya, Tim Reeves and Devon Thumwood, the Tigers cruised to improve to 14-4 overall on the season.
In addition to Pacific's steady offensive attack, goalie Alen Osmanovic made nine saves and came up with a steal in the contest.
Pacific's first goal game at the 5:58 mark in the first quarter from Andrea De Nardi and the Tigers added to their lead just over a minute later on Araya's first tally of the night to make it a 2-0 advantage. Less than 30 seconds later, Kale Ai made it a 3-0 Pacific lead on a goal assisted by Thumwood. It would be Thumwood scoring Pacific's fourth goal at the 3:09 mark of the first quarter as the Tigers continued to extend their lead.
George Washington did get on the board prior to the end of the first quarter when Atakan Destici found the back of the net to cut the Tiger lead to 4-1. It was that Tigers, though, who punctuated the first half with a goal by Colak with seven seconds left to make it a 5-1 lead.
The Colonials opened the scoring in the second quarter on a goal by Bogdan Petkovic and cut the Pacific lead to two goals on a power play goal at the 6:22 mark by Destici to make it 5-3. After goals were exchanged that made it a 6-4 score, the Tigers began to pull away at the 5:35 mark on a power play goal by Aleksandar Petrovic that gave the Tigers a three-goal advantage at 7-4. Thumwood would score again 30 seconds later to balloon the Tigers lead to 8-4. Araya followed with another tally at the 4:28 mark to make it a 9-4 score.
Pacific continued to surge towards the half as goals by Colak, Araya and Reeves sent the Tigers to intermission with a 12-6 advantage.
The third quarter saw each team score three goals to keep it a six-goal margin heading into the final frame. Pacific had goals scored by Colak, Reeves and Ikko Saito while the Colonials saw two tallies by Andrew Mavis and a goal with five seconds remaining from Destici to make it a 15-9 score heading to the fourth.
Petrovic opened the fourth quarter scoring for Pacific with a goal at the 6:18 mark to extend the Tigers lead to 16-9, their largest of the contest. Ai found the back of the net at the 5:09 mark to stretch the Pacific lead to 17-9. Thumwood became the fourth Tiger of the evening to notch a hat trick as he scored with 4:09 remaining to make it 18-9. Saito continued the Tiger surge with a goal at the 2:11 mark to make it a 10-goal advantage.
George Washington scored the final two goals of the match beginning with a five-meter shot by Destici with just over a minute left and added a power play goal with 13 seconds remaining by Noah McKinnie Braun, but Pacific would emerge with a 19-11 victory.
Pacific will next square off with the No. 2 California Golden Bears on Sunday night at Kjeldsen Pool. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
