DAVIS, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran men's water polo team hit the road for their second trip in two weeks as they traveled to the UC Davis Aggie Shootout this weekend. The Kingsmen fell to tough Division I opponents Santa Clara and University of the Pacific on Saturday but recovered to defeat SCIAC foes Redlands and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, in double overtime, on Sunday.
CLU opened the weekend with a tough 9-7 loss to the Santa Clara. The Broncos took a 5-4 lead into the break after outscoring the Kingsmen 2-1 in the opening frame. Teams exchanged three goals apiece in the second and came back after the break to score one apiece in the third quarter.
In the fourth period CLU found the back of the net twice, but allowed three Santa Clara goals to hinder a come-back effort.
Four of the Kingsmen goals came in man-up situations. Spencer McGrath, Max Zappas and Graham Jameson each found the back of the net twice in the contest with Zappas scoring two of the 6-on-5 situation goals while McGrath and Jameson each had one.
Danny Mock played the entire game in front of the cage, turning away nine Broncos shots, adding two steals. McGrath and Carter Baldwin finished with three and four steals, respectively.
In the afternoon, CLU dove back into the pool, falling 21-11 to University of the Pacific in a lopsided game from the get-go. The teams combined for 11 first quarter goals and the Kingsmen trailed 13-5 at the break.
Senior Dejan Novakovic led the offensive attack with four goals, three coming from 6-on-5 opportunities. The only other player to score multiple times was Hunter Hamaker who finished with a pair.
Mock manned the cage for the first half, blocking three shots before Matt Baerg took over for the second half. The senior keeper had a pair of saves.
On Sunday the Kingsmen and Bulldogs opened the tournament day with an early game in which CLU defeated UR 11-10. Cal Lutheran jumped out to a 4-2 first quarter lead, but trailed 6-4 at the half. The Kingsmen clawed back into it with three goals in the third and four in the fourth, holding Redlands to four total over the final two periods.
Novakovic again led the offense with a hat-trick. His first was on a penalty shot that equalized the game at 1-1 and sparked a run of three unanswered CLU goals. Novakovic then capped off the quarter with his second, the team's fourth.
McGrath and Zappas each added a pair in the win as well.
The final game of the weekend pitted CLU against CMS. The Kingsmen and Stags needed extra time, taking things into double overtime when Carter scored the game-winner to give the Violet and Gold a 12-11 victory.
Two teams who will meet again in SCIAC action on Oct. 20 got an early look at one another.
It was a tight game from the start as the squads were never separated by more than two goals. CLU opened an early 2-1 lead in the first quarter, but would play catch-up throughout the remainder. CMS held a 5-3 halftime lead.
With 53 seconds remaining in regulation Novakovic scored his second of the game to knot the teams at 11-11 sending things into extra time.
A scoreless first OT set up Carter for the second OT goal at the 2:02 mark.
Mock made five saves, including a pair in the second overtime period.
Both Zappas and Kyle Norheim tallied a trio of goals and AJ Franklin added two in the win.
Cal Lutheran (4-6) will be back at the Samuelson Aquatics Center on Thursday, Sept. 27 when they host St. Francis at 5:30 p.m.
