Chapman sweeps competition, advances to fifth place match

PASADENA, Calif. – The No. 7 Chapman University men's water polo team swept the competition on Saturday winning two key matches to advance to the fifth place match at the SCIAC Championship Tournament on Sunday. Chapman defeated Caltech 19-7 in game one, and went on to defeat Occidental 11-6 in game two on Saturday.

The Panther offense dominated throughout the day scoring multiple goals in all but one period. Leading the Panther attack was junior Jeff O'Brien who tallied eight goals, including five in the first match.

The Panthers started slow taking just a 1-0 lead in the first quarter. Following the break, O'Brien caught fire scoring four of the Panthers six goals in the second period. Chapman recorded a 7-2 lead heading into the half and secured the victory with 12 goals in the second half. Freshman Keith Kulick recorded a hat trick in the fourth period. Chapman's 19 goals were scored by 12 different Panthers.   

Chapman returned to the pool at 5 p.m. for its second match of the day against No. 6 Occidental. The Panther offense had a strong start, taking the lead 6-2 at the end of the first half. Chapman finished the match with five goals in the fourth quarter to solidify its spot in the fifth place match. O'Brien and sophomore Brady Hoskins both recorded a hat trick in the final match of the day.

The Panthers will return to the pool Sunday, looking to capture fifth place in the SCIAC Championship Tournament. Chapman will play No. 8 Cal Lutheran at 11:45 a.m. in Pasadena.  

by Raquel Rinauro
Sports Information Assistant

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