LA VERNE, Calif. – The #4 Pacific men's water polo team earned two wins at the Gary Troyer Tournament on Saturday, defeating Long Island, 15-4, at the La Verne Aquatics Center and Pomona-Pitzer, 17-11, at Haldeman Pool.
In two contests at the Gary Troyer Tournament, the Tigers (15-3) tallied 32 goals on 68 attempts for a .470 shot percentage while also converting on six of seven powerplay opportunities.
"Nice bounce-back day for the team," Head Coach
James Graham stated after the two victories. "It was nice to get a bunch of players some reps."
The Tigers opened the day with a dominating win over the Sharks (1-11), with
Calvin Behm and
Filip Norell leading the team with a season-high four goals apiece. In 18 matches this season, Behm has doubled his season total in goals with eight, while Norell has accumulated six.
In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, the Tigers used a balanced offensive attack and jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the opening period. Goals from Behm,
Gil Gvishi,
Rene Peralta, and
Flynn Howarth set the tone early as the team cruised through the following three periods.
The Tigers clamped down defensively, holding the Sharks to just one goal per period and a .148 shot percentage.
Joey MacLeane was the staple defensively, earning the start in goal for the Tigers and accumulating 14 saves. The redshirt senior from Newcastle, Calif., only allowed four goals and tallied a .778 save percentage throughout the contest.
In the day's second match, the Tigers took on Division III powerhouse and top-ranked Pomona-Pitzer. For the second-straight contest, the Tigers had a plethora of players contribute offensively, with six individuals scoring two or more goals against the Sagehens (7-10).
Reuel D'Souza led the Tigers in goals, tallying four, while Peralta, Gvishi,
Jeremie Cote,
Bogdan Djerkovic, and
Mihailo Vukazic all recorded two goals apiece.
Outscoring the Sagehens, 11-1, through the first half of action, the Tigers again held strong defensively as the Sagehens accumulated a .297 shot percentage.
Bae Fountain and MacLeane split time in goal for the Tigers, with Fountain recording six saves for a.750 save percentage.
"This week, we start conference play, and that presents a new set of challenges," Graham stated regarding the team entering Golden Coast Conference action. "We will assess where we are and what we need to do to get ready … This week will be an important week for us."
Pacific returns to action at 7 p .m. on Saturday, Oct. 8, as the Tigers travel to take on #7 Long Beach State at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center to open Golden Coast Conference play.
