FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno Pacific men's water polo fell to UC Merced 14-10 in a competitive conference matchup on Saturday afternoon. The Sunbirds capitalized on power plays, scoring eight of their goals during man-up situations. Despite their efforts, UC Merced pulled ahead with a strong second period, netting five goals to take command of the game. Before the match started, the Sunbirds celebrated four remarkable seniors who have positively impacted the men's water polo program.

In a heartfelt ceremony, Fresno Pacific celebrated their four graduating seniors: Samuel Ramos, Christian Clark, Blake Johnson, and Forrest Gray. Over the course of their careers, the Fresno Pacific community can proudly say it has been incredible to witness the way they've lifted others up, led by example, and represented Fresno Pacific with pride. The standard they've set will continue to inspire future Sunbirds for years to come.

At the start of the game, FPU and UC Merced engaged in a competitive sprint, with FPU's lead attacker Forrest Gray opening the scoring for the Sunbirds, successfully capturing a hat trick in the first period. Gray's third goal was scored with only three seconds remaining, thanks to the quick assist from fellow senior Johnson on the power-play. Unfortunately, UC Merced responded swiftly, tying it up 3-3.

In the second period, the teams exchanged goals, but UC Merced took the lead just before halftime, having captured five goals to the Sunbirds' one. The Kingsburg native Luke Young set up a clutch goal for Matthew Dillsaver, allowing the 'Birds to keep the 4-point gap to a minimum.

Despite a late push by the Sunbirds, including two more goals from Gray in the third period and a goal from Tristin Fox, UC Merced maintained control with a consistent offensive effort, finishing with a 14-10 victory. UC Merced outshot the Sunbirds 27-31, capitalizing on three penalty shots to secure the win.

Gray led the offensive effort by scoring five goals and adding two assists on 10 shots. Gray has had a dozen multi-scoring matches under his belt, tallying 54 goals thus far. The senior from Milipatis is currently Top 10 in points (73) in the WWPA. Chris Sandino contributed two goals, an assist, and two steals, showcasing his versatility on both ends of the pool. Samuel Ramos facilitated the attack with three assists, enhancing the team's ball movement. In the net, goalkeeper Chase Hammes made five saves, providing steady defense for the Sunbirds.

"We had the chance to honor a group of seniors who have left an incredible legacy for our program," said first-year head coach Jonathan Miller. "All four have been great representatives for FPU water polo in the pool, classroom and community. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to coach them this year, and I am excited for the next two weeks as they lead us into the WWPA championship tournament!"

The Sunbirds are currently 3-17 overall and 1-3 in conference play. The team has two more matches in the regular season, before flying to Ohio for the WWPA Championships on November 21-23.

NEXT UP: The 'Birds travel down to SoCal to face conference opponents Biola and Concordia University Irvine on November 14th and 15th, respectively. On Friday, the match in La Mirada takes place at 7 pm, while the Saturday face-off in Irvine starts at 1 pm.

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