LA VERNE, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's water polo team scored a program-record 22 goals to beat Caltech in a split on the final day of Gary Troyer. The Bobcats beat Caltech 22-8, while falling to Biola University 20-6.
The Bobcats (12-7) 22 goals bested the previous program-best of 20 goals set just one day prior. The 16-goal win over Caltech was also the biggest margin of victory in program history.
Killian Nguyen led all players with six combined goals. Tommy Bauer and Camden Peterson scored five goals each against Caltech. Bauer's scoring output marked a career-high.
Matthew Lloyd recorded all 64 minutes in the cage between the two matches.
Game One Biola 20, UC Merced 8
Biola scored seven unanswered goals in the first quarter to create early separation. Noah Hernandez ended the Bobcats scoring drought with just over a minute left in the period and the Bobcats followed with two more goals early in the second quarter, including one on a power play, to cut the deficit to five goals at 8-3.
However, Biola exploded for six more goals while holding the Bobcats scoreless until the final 90 seconds of the third quarter to take a 14-3 lead. Biola extended their lead to 18-5 before Soto, Andrew Jones, and Nguyen scored back-to-back-to-back. Biola scored the final two goals to round out the 20-8 final.
Jones, Soto, and Nguyen led the Bobcats efforts with two goals apiece. Seven different Eagles scored two goals.
Game Two UC Merced 22, Caltech 6
After a Caltech goal 30 seconds in, the Bobcats scored eight straight goals stretching over the first and second quarter and held the opponent scoreless for over 12 minutes. Five different Bobcats scored during the surge with Nguyen, Soto, and Peterson scoring twice.
Head coach Johnny Bega's squad led 9-3 at halftime.
Nguyen found the back of the net on the Bobcats first possession of the second half and the Bobcats would go on to outscore the Beavers 7-1 in the third quarter. The Bobcats scored three in a row and then scored four more after a Caltech score. Noah Hernandez recorded two goals, while Omar Lopez scored his first career goal and the final goal in the frame.
Leading 16-4 at the start of the fourth quarter, Nguyen struck first and the Bobcats scored three times in the first four minutes to extend the lead to 19-5. Lopez scored again late and Bauer deposited two more shots into the back of the net to round out the Bobcats program-record 22 goals.
Bauer joined Camden Peterson and Killian Nguyen as the only other two Bobcats to score five times in a match.
Looking ahead, the Bobcats will play Concordia University Irvine and California Baptist as part of The Joust in Riverside, Calif., at the Lancer Aquatics Center on Friday, October 6. The Bobcats will begin with CIU at 10:30am.
