Regular season ends with loss to No. 14 Santa Clara
ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University men's water polo team had upset on its mind on Sunday afternoon, but in the end nationally-ranked Santa Clara University pulled ahead for an 11-9 win over the Panthers on 'Senior Day' at the Allred Olympic Pool. The Panthers conclude the regular season at 13-13 and will now await word from the Western Water Polo Association on whether they'll receive a berth in the WWPA championship tournament in two weeks.
Chapman led Division I's No. 14-ranked Broncos 5-3 in the second quarter and tied the score 6-6 at halftime, but in the pivotal third quarter, Santa Clara (17-15) out-scored the Panthers 3-1 and didn't look back.
The Panthers' upset bid began after Santa Clara took a 2-0 lead at the 3:49 mark in the first quarter. Chapman evened the score at two with goals from freshman driver Mark Alvarado and senior utility Pierre Masson before the period ended.
Then, following a quick goal by Santa Clara to open the second quarter, the Panthers scored three straight goals – two by senior driver David Carson – to give Chapman a 5-3 lead with 4:50 left in the half. However, the Broncos rallied to tie it at 6-6 heading into halftime and carried that momentum into the second half.
On 'Senior Day', Carson finished with two goals and three assists, padding the single-season Chapman assists record he established on Friday. He now has 60 assists on the year. But it was the rookie Alvarado who paced the Panthers' offense with three goals. Sophomore 2-meter Brett Carter also added a pair of goals for Chapman.
For Santa Clara, senior utility James Case scored in every quarter to lead all players with four goals.
Chapman's junior goalie Taylor Roszkos was instrumental in keeping the Panthers close, especially in the first half. Roszkos made 10 saves and added a pair of steals, marking the 11th time this season he's recorded double-digits in blocked shots.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director
Boxscore: http://www.chapmanathletics.com/sports/mwaterpolo/2011-12/files/SCU-CU.pdf
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