Stockton, Calif. – The #5 Pacific men's water polo team topped the San Jose State Spartans 18-11 Friday night at Chris Kjeldsen Pool. The seniors paved the way on Senior Night as Ikko Saito scored a career-high five goals and Aleksandar Petrovic added four assists.
In addition to Saito's five, Petrovic, Engin Ege Colak, Luis Araya and Kale Ai each added two goals apiece and goalie Alen Osmanovic finished the night with ten saves.
The Tigers improve to 17-6 on the year, 4-1 in GCC play while the loss drops the Spartans to 7-19 overall, 0-5 in conference action.
San Jose got on the board first off a goal from Alek Dendall. The Tigers were able to answer right back as senior Ikko Saito netted the equalizer on his 32ndgoal on the year. With the 6-on-5 advantage, Decker Dempsey gave Pacific the 2-1 lead off a back hand to the far post. Going the other way San Jose answered on a man advantage opportunity of their own to knot the score at two-all. The Tigers regained the lead once again when Aleksandar Petrovic converted six meters out to the top shelf, however right before the end of the first quarter the Spartans found the 3-3 equalizer off the goal from Ashley Castle.
Petrovic opened up the scoring in the second on a skip shot to the right post to put the Tigers back up 4-3. A few possessions later San Jose's Finn Pardon fought off Devon Thumwood to knot the score 4-4. Back the other way Luis Araya rifled off a backhanded shot to regain the lead for Pacific, and moments later Saito dished the ball to Ege Colak who one-timed it to the back of the net to give the Orange and Black a 6-4 advantage. Araya would add one more right after to widen the Tiger lead, and Thumwood made it 8-4 off a power play goal with just over a minute left in the half. Kale Ai joined the scoring party as the quarter came to a close, and the Tigers entered the intermission up 9-4.
Colak put the Tigers in double-digits as he gobbled up a rebound off goalie Conrad Gordon and fired it past the 'keeper for his second goal of the night. Giacomo Lovatelli ended the 6-0 Tiger run as he got one past Alen Osmanovic, and San Jose would add another to make it 10-6 on the next possession. The Spartans cut the lead to three on Castle's second score of the night, but Ai answered right back as he found Gordon looking the other way and the Tigers were back up 11-7. On the ensuing possession Saito intercepted the ball from the defender and converted the breakaway to put the Tigers back up five. The Spartans answered right back on Castle's hat trick to bring the deficit to four. Freshman Andrea De Nardi got into the scoring line on a goal to the near post, making it 13-8. Castle netted his forth on a catch-and-shoot that got past Osmanovic, but Pacific stormed back and Saito scored cross cage to bring the score to 14-9 and earn himself a hat trick.
Saito registered his fourth goal of the night on a five-meter penalty shot to put the Tigers up 15-9 to open up the final quarter. Roughly two minutes later the senior netted his fifth of the night, giving him a new career-high. With the shot-clock winding down Lucas Hastie ripped one past the leaping Gordon just beyond the five-meter marker to bring the score to 17-9. Clappis made it 18-10, but the Spartans made their 6-on-5 advantage count to narrow the deficit, but Pacific emerged with the 18-11 victory.
The Tigers cap off their regular season on the road tomorrow as they take on No. 8 UC Davis at 6 p.m. in a non-conference game before hosting the Golden Coast Conference Championships Nov. 18-20.
