MERCED, Calif. – Fresno Pacific men's water polo stole the show in the WWPA conference opener versus UC Merced, capturing their first win in conference and third win of the season. Strong performances from goalkeeper Chase Hammes and several talented Sunbirds secured the 9-8 conference triumph on Saturday afternoon.
 
Hopping into the water at the Merced Aquatics Center, Blake Johnson wasted no time and scored the first goal of the match on a powerplay. The Sunbirds netted three goals overall within the first period, key contributions coming from Chris Sandino (3:11), who was assisted by Samuel Ramos, and Jake Canales (0:44) to combat the Bobcats' four goals. The back-and-forth first period ended with UC Merced leading 4-3 after a late goal.

Fresno Pacific regained momentum in the second period. Taking advantage of a powerplay, Ramos sent a quick pass to Luke Young who sent a great shot into the back of the net to bummp the Sunbirds back into the game. UC Merced tried to hold off the 'Birds offense, but Tristin Fox tied the game at 5-5, and Forrest Gray's shot kept the score close at 6-7 going into the half.

The Sunbirds took control in the third period thanks to Ramos's goal at the 2:28 mark. Goalkeeper Hammes and the Sunbirds' defensive line did an incredible job holding off the Bobcats' advances and kept them from scoring in the next two periods. Hammes was relentless between the bars, tallying 17 saves over the course of the match, hitting a season-high.

Fresno Pacific held down the fourth period, stopping the Bobcats from taking back the lead. Christian Clark, the Sunbird of the Week, blazed ahead for FPU to capture the 9-8 lead. The Bobcats attempted a shot, but it ricocheted off the post back into the 'Bird possession.

With a fifteen seconds left on the clock, Hammes saved a last ditch effort by the Bobcats, blocking the deep shot from the left corner to run out the clock. Fresno Pacific clinched the conference opener 9-8 and successfully shutout the Bobcats in the second half to bump their conference record to 1-0 overall.

"Our conference is deep with talented teams and so we knew coming into today it was going to be close," said first-year head coach Jonathan Miller. "It's great to get the first conference win and one on the road as well. Having eight different goal scorers really shows how balanced our offensive attack can be and Chase really anchored our defense with 17 saves and a shutout second half. Excited to get back home for two big conference games next weekend."

NEXT UP: The Sunbirds continue conference play with their dual home matches against Biola on Friday, October 17th and Concordia University Irvine on Saturday, October 18th. Stop by Sunnyside Aquatics Center to cheer on your 'Birds!

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