THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Down seven goals early, Cal Lutheran men's water polo refused to go quietly, mounting an incredible comeback to stun Occidental 15-14 in overtime Saturday morning at the Samuelson Aquatics Center. The Kingsmen erased an 8-1 deficit, capped the comeback with a game-tying goal with one second remaining in regulation, and took control in overtime to secure a thrilling victory.
It was a tough start for Cal Lutheran, as Occidental jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead in the opening period.
Max Gerdeman finally got the Kingsmen on the board to open the second, but the Tigers answered with three consecutive goals to stretch their advantage to 8-1.
Rather than fold, the Kingsmen began chipping away.
Levi Cook,
Adam Scrivner and
Dylan Moscoso each found the back of the net to close the half on a three-goal run, sending Cal Lutheran into the break trailing 8-4.
The Kingsmen carried that momentum into the third, finding their offensive rhythm with five goals in the period. Cook scored twice, while Gerdeman,
Merrick Giles and Scrivner each added a goal of their own. Occidental managed three scores, but Cal Lutheran continued to cut into the deficit, heading into the final period down just 11-9.
Occidental opened the fourth with another goal, but the Kingsmen had no intention of letting the game slip away. Giles and Scrivner each scored, then with the clock winding down and just one second remaining, Cook found the back of the net to tie the game at 12-12 and send the contest into overtime. The Samuelson Aquatics Center erupted as the Kingsmen completed their incredible regulation comeback.
Cal Lutheran carried its momentum into overtime, with
Paul Patterson and Giles scoring in the first extra period to give the Kingsmen a 14-13 advantage. Occidental answered with a goal in the second overtime, but Giles came through with another score to maintain the two-goal cushion. The Tigers found the net once more with 15 seconds remaining, but the Kingsmen held on through the final moments to secure the 15-14 victory.
Giles and Cook led the Kingsmen with four goals apiece, while Giles added two assists for a six-point performance. Scrivner contributed three goals, while Gerdeman finished with two goals, four assists and three steals. Patterson dished out a game-high five assists to go with a goal, while
Jaeger Gonzales recorded seven saves after taking over in goal following the opening period.
The Kingsmen were also active defensively, collecting 14 steals as a team compared to Occidental's five.
With the win, Cal Lutheran improves to 6-3 in SCIAC play, moving into a tie for third place with Redlands with just three conference games remaining.
The Kingsmen have Wednesday off before returning to action Saturday, November 7, traveling to Chapman for an 11 a.m. matchup. Cal Lutheran will look to complete the season sweep of the Panthers after earning a 17-11 victory in the conference home opener. Chapman enters the week at 4-5 in SCIAC play, tied with Whittier for fifth place.
