LA VERNE, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific men's water polo team was in action on Sunday on day two of the Inland Empire Classic. They split the day with a 16-9 loss against Whittier, and a 17-16 win over La Verne.
QUOTABLE
"It's always nice to close out a weekend with a win," said head coach Bryan Suhovy. "These guys worked hard today. They came out to play against Whittier, but losing three starters in the third quarter made the fourth quarter difficult. Against LaVerne they came out hungry for a win. It was the most consistent game we have played as a team so far. Bodhi Bowden stepped up today and made an impact.
"We got a little flustered in the third quarter and we let LaVerne take a two goal lead on us, but we bounced back and was able to get it done," Suhovy continued. "I was proud of the boys for keeping their composure and fighting back for the win. They have shown a lot of growth this weekend in multiple areas. Each game we strive to get better and we did just that."
GAME 1
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Sunbirds jumped out in front early, scoring the game's first five goals.
- Whittier responded with three straight goals of their own in just under a minute of game time to bring the game to 5-3 with 7:15 remaining in the second quarter.
- Eugenio Maldonado provided his second goal of the game soon after to put the Birds up 6-3, but the Poets scored five unanswered goals to close the half and grab an 8-6 lead.
- Out of the halftime break, the Sunbirds were able to cut the Whitter lead to 10-9 thanks to a Bodhi Bowden goal with 2:26 left in the third. However, that was as close as FPU got, as the Poets scored the final six goals of the contest to take it by a 16-9 final.
STATS FROM THE MATCH:
GAME 2
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- FPU started strong, outscoring La Verne 5-3 in each of the first two quarters to take a 10-6 lead in to the half.
- Each Team traded goals in the second half until La Verne grabbed a 16-14 lead after five unanswered goals stretching from the end of the third to 5:25 left in the fourth.
- Down the stretch, the Sunbirds scored three straight goals, capped by a game-winning goal from Bodhi Bowden with just over a minute and a half left to play.
STATS FROM THE MATCH:
- Bowden led the Sunbird attack with eight goals and an assist.
- Pietro Cattano and Thilo Popp chipped in three goals of their own.
- FPU finished with 32 shots, while La Verne had 36.
UP NEXT:
- FPU will open their WWPA season next weekend at Air Force. They'll take on the Falcons in a conference/non-conference doubleheader. Game one is scheduled for 11 a.m., while game two is scheduled for 3 p.m.
SUNBIRD SOCIAL:
- Twitter - @fpusunbirds
- Instagram - @fpusunbirds
- Facebook - /FPUathletics
#TeamFPU
