FULLERTON, Calif. - Fresno Pacific men's water polo opened the Fullerton Mini with losses to tournament host, Cal State Fullerton, and nationally-ranked Brown University on Friday afternoon. The Sunbirds tallied eight goals in both close matches and held the No. 18 Bears scoreless for the entire second period.
FPU 8 vs CSUF 11
The 'Birds kept it a one-point game in the first period, trailing behind the Titans 1-2. Freshman Ryder Stermer was the first Sunbird to dent the twine at the 5:09 mark. Tristin Fox, the WWPA Offensive Player of the Week, scored alongside Stermer in the second period, thanks to Jake Canales strong pass.
After halftime, the Titans pulled ahead, netting five goals to the Sunbirds three to take the lead 6-10. Fox wasted no time responding to CSUF, collecting back-to-back goals at 7:02 and 6:12 to keep the 'Birds within reach. Luke Young was credited with two of the three goals in the third period, sending a great pass to Giacomo Hernandez for the sixth goal of the game.
The Sunbirds captured two additional goals in the final period, keeping the Titans down to only one goal. With 4:16 left on the clock, Colton Parks and Jake Canales were dynamic on a power play to make it 7-11. Yanti Quijada scored on a penalty shot to close out the game 8-11.
Between the bars, Chase Hammes tallied 10 saves with three steals. The WWPA Defensive Player of the Week played for the full 32 minutes with a .476 save percentage.
FPU 8 vs #18 Brown 13
Stermer and Fox were dynamic against No. 18 Brown University. The freshman scored two in the first period and Fox was the only player to score in the second. The 'Birds effectively shut out the Bears in the second period.
A minute into the third, Jesse Bryan got a goal under his belt on a power-play, assisted by Young. Despite the Sunbirds' efforts, Brown University leapt to a 9-4 lead at 5:02. Bryan, Quijada, and Fox were diligent in the final minutes of the game, pushing the 'Birds to an ending score of 8-13.
Overall, Fox had back-to-back hat tricks on the day. Hammes tallied 10 saves and two steals to bring his total saves to 20 on the day.
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