LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Cal Lutheran men's water polo (4-6, 0-1 SCIAC) battled wire-to-wire and came out on top Friday afternoon, defeating Augustana 9-7.

The Kingsmen struck first in the opening quarter as Paul Patterson found the back of the net. After Augustana (1-4, 0-0 MPSF) responded, Levi Cook put Cal Lutheran back in front with 3:20 left. The Vikings scored in the final second to even the game at 2-2 heading into the second quarter.

Augustana moved ahead early in the second, but Merrick Giles tied it up midway through the frame. The Vikings added another score late in the quarter to take a 4-3 advantage into halftime.

Cal Lutheran took control in the third quarter. Jack Bradbury and Zachary Isaac delivered back-to-back scores to put the Kingsmen ahead 5-4. Augustana tied it on a penalty shot, but Ceasar Nava struck with 17 seconds left, giving Cal Lutheran a 6-5 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Kingsmen held strong down the stretch. After Augustana pulled even, Cook and Ethan Guereca answered with consecutive goals to extend the lead. Patterson added his second of the day in the closing seconds to seal the 9-7 victory.

Patterson and Cook each finished with two goals to lead Cal Lutheran, while Bradbury, Giles, Isaac, Nava, and Guereca added one apiece. A relentless defensive effort also made the difference, as the Kingsmen piled up 20 steals to complement their balanced scoring attack.

In goal, Bo DuBois played the entire game, allowing just seven goals while capturing six saves.