WHITTIER, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's water polo (12-11, 5-6 SCIAC) earned a strong 14-10 win over Whittier (15-11, 5-6 SCIAC) on Saturday morning, powered by an efficient offensive showing from Merrick Giles, who led the Kingsmen with four goals on four shots. 

The Kingsmen came out firing, with Adam Scrivner putting CLU on the board early. After Whittier tied it, Paul Patterson regained the lead with a clean strike. Giles then converted back-to-back penalty goals late in the period to give Cal Lutheran control heading into the second with a 4-2 lead.

Whittier cut into the lead early, but Jack Bradbury responded with a goal to keep the Kingsmen ahead. After a brief Whittier rally, Nic Mastropoalo and Giles each found the back of the net, helping Cal Lutheran maintain its edge and enter halftime ahead 7-6.

The Kingsmen extended their lead behind a dominant stretch from Max Gerdeman, who netted two goals in the quarter. Ethan Guereca added another late to close the period strong for CLU, as the team held off a few Whittier strikes to carry a 10-9 advantage into the final frame.

Cal Lutheran sealed the win with a composed and efficient final quarter. Bradbury opened the frame with a penalty goal, followed by tallies from Zachary Isaac, Giles, and Brody Swarm to put the match out of reach. The Kingsmen defense held firm down the stretch, securing the 14-10 victory on the road.

Jaeger Gonzales played all 32 minutes at goalie, racking up seven saves.

The Kingsmen posted 14 goals on 23 shots, assisted on 10 of their scores, and limited Whittier to 10 goals on 24 attempts. The win marked redemption for Cal Lutheran, who fell to Whittier 12-14 in their first matchup earlier this season. The Kingsmen will look to carry their momentum into next week as they travel to face Redlands on Saturday in their final match of the regular season.