MERCED, Calif. - The University of California, Merced men's water polo team won its first game of the inaugural season on Sunday, 16-8 against Cal State Monterey Bay to highlight a four-match weekend at the Aquatics Center.
The Bobcats (1-7) 16 goals in the victory marked a season-high, eight of which were scored by Devin Verma.
In addition to CSUMB's club team, UC Merced also played Chico State and Stanford's club water polo teams in the two-day span.
October 8 | Chico State 19, UC Merced 6
October 8 | Stanford 17, UC Merced 6
October 9 | Chico State 20, UC Merced 3
October 9 | UC Merced 16, Cal State Monterey Bay 8
Verma led the Bobcats efforts all weekend, finishing with an astonishing 18 goals overall against the Sierra Pacific Division foes. Along with his season-high eight against CSUMB, the Bobcats center scored five goals in the weekend opener against Chico State, a hat trick next time out against Chico State, and then scored two goals against Stanford. Verma also tallied 20 total steals and six assists over the weekend. The Bobcats center has multiple goals in all eight games this year.
Kai Etz impressed with six goals despite seeing action in only Sunday's contests. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native had a season-high five goals in the Bobcats win, while also scoring against Chico State. He has at least one goal in his last four games dating back to October 2.
Jacob Wyman, Adrian Martinez and Andrew Ore scored two goals each. Wyman and Martinez found the back of the net against CSUMB and Stanford, while Ore scored both his goals on Saturday against Chico State and Stanford. Marc Martinez added a goal against CSUMB.
Goalkeepers Nic Puckett and Ethan Chou finished with 15 and eight saves, respectively. Puckett also had five steals. The goalkeepers split the four matches over the weekend, with Chou taking the first game of each day.
Puckett allowed no more than three goals in any quarter against CSUMB and with Verma's and Etz's offensive explosion, the Bobcats led wire-to-wire en route to the 16-8 win. The Bobcats led by as many as eleven midway through the third quarter.
UC Merced will play at Merced College on Wednesday, October 12 in a final tune-up for the Sierra Pacific Championship Tournament scheduled for October 22-23 in Vallejo, Calif.
