THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Today for the final time, six Kingsmen suited up at the Samuelson Aquatics Center for competition. The last Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game of the regular season featured Cal Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer with the Kingsmen making it a memorable one by prevailing 9-7.
After senior introductions, which honored Mike Arteaga, Zach Graper, Nathan Ortega, Jesse Owen, Mike Potter and Asante Sefa-Boakye, everyone dove in for what turned into a very exciting game.
The seniors stepped up big on a day to celebrate them as Sefa-Boakye scored the first goal of the game and Owen followed with and huge block. Graper then added to the tally. Potter came up with a field block on the ensuing Sagehens possession as well. Sefa-Boakye spun and fired a behind the back goal to push the lead to 3-0 with 2:34 remaining in the first. Freshman Ryan Moguel then added a fourth on a pass from Potter and Shea Craig and AJ Franklin got in on the scoring as well to give the Kingsmen a 6-0 advantage after the opening period, which ended with Owens' fourth save of the game.
The Sagehens woke up in the second with a pair of goals from James Baker, the second on a five-meter shot early in the stanza. Craig netted his second of the day and with 3:20 to play in the half Ortega got in on the scoring. Pomona-Pitzer converted a goal, on an open cage, with one tick to play in the half, cutting their deficit to 8-4.
After the intermission the lone goal of the third quarter came from Baker as he completed a hat-trick for Pomona-Pitzer.
During the final eight minutes PP struck first to pull within a pair at 8-6. CLU earned a man advantage, but a block from PP goalie Ethan Caleb Prater-Fahey denied the home team an opportunity to increase their lead. Another Hens score closed the gap to one. After numerous crossbars were hit in the period, and with a CLU chant from the sold out crowd, Graper found the back of the net from eight meters out to make it a two possession game and essentially put the game in the books.
Overall, Craig, Graper and Sefa-Boakye each had two goals. Franklin, Graper and Ortega handed out a pair of assists apiece. Sefa-Boakye and Taylor McMaster each drew two ejections.
Defensively, Craig and Potter each had a field block and Owen recorded 12 saves with a team-leading five steals, also adding an assist in his finale. McMasterfinished with four takeaways and Graper and Potter each tallied three.
Cal Lutheran (8-13, 4-4 SCIAC) will compete in the SCIAC Championships hosted by Redlands between Nov. 21-23. Seedings and match-ups will be announced early this week.
Box Score: CLU 9, PP 7
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