VALLEJO, Calif. - The seventh-seeded University of California, Merced men's water polo team dropped two matches on day one of the Sierra Pacific Division Championship, falling 14-6 to Cal's club water polo team and 20-7 to Stanford's club water polo team at Cal Maritime's PEAC Pool. 

Despite the setbacks, Verma scored eight goals and brought his season total up to 50 goals through the first eleven contests.

The Bobcats (1-10) started their first ever postseason tournament against second-seeded Cal, but fell into the consolation bracket with the loss. 

Cheyenne Bennmarie scored the Bobcats first ever postseason goal, finding the back of the net just over three minutes in to tie the game 1-1. Bennmarie's goal was also his first career goal. Cal followed with six unanswered goals before Verma stopped the skid just before halftime. The five-goal deficit was as close as the Bobcats would come the rest of the way.  Verma would finish with a hat-trick, while Armando Hernandez accounted for the Bobcats other two goals for his first career multi-goal game. Ethan Chou stopped seven shots in his start in goal.

UC Merced played sixth-seeded Stanford just before sunset and pulled within two goals at 8-6 early in the third quarter, but ultimately fell 20-7. 

Verma kept the Bobcats within striking distance with five goals before fouling out in the third quarter. His five goals shared match-high. Verma scored three goals in the second quarter to start the Bobcats comeback efforts. The Bobcats trailed 7-1 prior to battling back to a two-goal margin at 8-6. Nic Puckett tallied a career-high ten saves in the loss. Other notables include a goal each from Bennmarie and Kai Etz.

The Bobcats will conclude its division championship on Sunday, October 23 at 9:00am against Cal State Monterey Bay's club water polo team.