Men’s water polo sets a new program record

The Eagles secure their second win against Ottawa Arizona, 15-7.

Natalie Hernandez, Sports Editor • October 30, 2021

Men’s water polo sets a new program record

Photo courtesy of Natalie Hernandez//THE CHIMES (file)

On Friday morning men’s water polo headed to Thousand Oaks, California to compete against Ottawa Arizona University and California Lutheran University. The Eagles split the day with a victory against Ottawa, 15-7 and a loss against Cal Lutheran, 12-5. This concludes the men’s water polo initial season and the Eagles will head off to compete in the Western Water Polo Association Tournament on Nov. 19.

VICTORY AT LAST

The Eagles started off the morning facing Ottawa Arizona, who they lost to earlier in the season, 10-13. Sophomore attacker Kenny Wulf made the first goal of the match. Freshman utility Braeden Marsolini scored another goal quickly after adding to the advantage for the Eagles. With four minutes left in the first quarter OUAZ managed to score a goal. Biola countered with only 30 seconds left on the clock as freshman attacker Will Tibbetts added another goal for the Eagles, ending the first quarter at a three-point advantage.

In the second quarter the Eagles added two more goals while Ottawa added three. However, Biola remained in the lead going into halftime, 6-4. The Eagles kept momentum into the third quarter, scoring a total of six goals from freshman utility players John Grasso and Nolan Rapp, freshman center Luke Franklin, freshman attacker Matthew Rodriguez and sophomore center defender Maxwell Osborn. Freshman goalkeeper Mitchell Carpenter gained 16 saves in the match.

In the end Biola reigned victorious and set a new program record, winning, 15-7

FACING DEFEAT

The second match of the day the Eagles competed against the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen. The Kingsmen scored the first two goals of the match and the Eagles responded with a goal of their own made by Osborn. After another goal was made by Cal Lutheran, Franklin added another goal to the scoreboard for the Eagles. In the second quarter the Kingsmen had a four-point run, leaving Biola at a five point disadvantage, unable to score in the second quarter.

Biola scored three more goals the entire match but were unable to catch up with the Kingsmen, who ultimately won, 12-5.

Men’s water polo (2-20 overall, 0-8 conference) will head to Davis, California to compete in the WWPA tournament. Official stats from today’s match is located on the Biola Athletics website.

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About the Contributor

Natalie Hernandez, Sports Editor

Natalie Hernandez is a junior journalism major who loves cooking with her boyfriend, enjoys photo adventures, and new experiences. [email protected] I was born and raised in California, but I have always moved around. Although I have always lived here I have never missed the opportunity to get out of LA. My father is an immigrant and my mother is first-generation Mexican. I am the first in my family to attend college and I am proud of that. School does not come easy to me and I am glad I have pushed myself. I went to college in Seattle, WA but moved back due to my mother getting sick. When I got back to LA, I hit the ground running. I enrolled in community college and started working. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I took one photography class and I knew this is what I want to do. My love for journalism, photography, and sports started on the sidelines of my high school football field. Every single game junior-senior year you could find me on the sidelines taking photos or getting a quote from a coach. I have never been athletic but I enjoy watching and learning about all different sports. I love telling stories. This is just my first year at Biola as a transfer student and first semester at The Chimes but I can’t wait to see what the future holds.