RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The FPU men's water polo team (0-7, 0-3 WWPA) started a road trip where they'll play five games in three days on Thursday, falling 26-6 to the Lancers of Cal Baptist (9-6, 2-1 WWPA).
 
It was a quick start for the Lancers, scoring two goals within the first minute and 18 seconds of the game to start a 6-0 run.
 
Thilo Popp was able to get the Sunbirds on the board with his first goal of the game, but two more from Cal Baptist before the end of the period made it 8-1 after the first eight minutes.
 
Popp was able to score his second goal of the game off of a Lancer penalty just 21 seconds into the second quarter to make it 8-2, but it led to a 9-1 run from Cal Baptist to close out the half with a Sunbird goal coming from Blake Johnson with 53 seconds left before the break.
 
After the Lancers scored to open the second half, FPU scored back-to-back goals from Pietro Cattano and Eugenio Maldonado. But Cal Baptist was able to add four more heading into the final period.
 
Popp was able to score his and FPU's final goal less than two minutes into the final quarter before the Lancers closed out the contest with four of their own to secure the win.
 
The Sunbirds will compete in the Gary Troyer Invitational this weekend, hosted by Pomona-Pitzer. They will play two games tomorrow, starting with a matchup against Westcliff at 12:40 p.m. at the La Verne Aquatics Center in La Verne. They will follow that up with a matchup against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in Claremont at 6 p.m.
 
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