THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - For the first time of the fall the Kingsmen water polo team had the chance to play before their home fans. Cal Lutheran opened an early 9-3 lead on the visiting Chapman Panthers and held on for the 11-10 home opening victory. In a double dip the Kingsmen went on to face Division II Cal Baptist, playing well, but falling 8-5.
Chapman struck first but after AJ Franklin got the Kingsmen on the board and Hunter Hamaker put CLU on top they would not trail again in the game. Max Zappas broke a 2-2 tie to give the home squad a 3-2 lead at the end of the opening period.
CLU exploded for six goals in the second, allowing just one, to race out to a large lead. Franklin and Carter Baldwin each found the back of the net twice in the stanza and both Kyle Norheim and Dejan Novakovic also scored.
After the break the tables turned with Chapman scoring six unanswered goals. With 1:44 to play in the third, CLU drew an ejection and took a timeout to talk things over. After moving the ball around Zappas handed it off to Derrick Graham who converted the 6-on-5 opportunity into a 10-9 CLU lead.
The final frame saw the teams exchange goals with Baldwin capping off the CLU scoring to finish with three. The senior added a pair of steals.
Franklin also recorded a hat-trick in his first collegiate home game. He also recorded three steals and handed out an assist. Norheim and Zappas each had three steals. Zappas drew two ejections and Hamaker, Norheim and Nathan Ortega each drew one. Zappas and Ortega tallied two assists apiece.
Defensively Novakovic and Ortega each had a field block. Danny Mock played the entire game in front of the cage, saving six shots.
In the second game of the day, CLU fell to Cal Baptist, holding a solid offensive Lancers unit to just eight goals.
Mock again manned the cage, making 15 stops. The Kingsmen tallied a total of 12 steals with Baldwin and Norheim leading the attack with three apiece. Field blocks were aplenty in the defensive battle as well with Baldwin, Franklin, Graham and Zappas each recording one.
Offensively five different players scored with Shea Craig and Derek Heino both getting in on the action. Spencer McGrath had an assist in the game.
The teams were even at 2-2 after one. CBU added three in the second while CLU scored just once. After halftime the swapped goals and the Lancers added two in the final frame while the Kingsmen scored just once.
Cal Lutheran (2-4, 1-0 SCIAC) will travel to Northern California this weekend to play four games at the UC Davis Tournament. The weekend will get underway on Saturday, Sept. 22 against Santa Clara at 11:30 a.m. followed by a 4:10 p.m. sprint against the University of the Pacific.
