Box Score DAVIS, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's water polo team fell 17-11 to West Valley College in game one of the Aggie Roundup on Saturday afternoon.
The Bobcats (6-4) eleven goals marked their fifth double figure scoring effort of the campaign.
William Pezold, scoring in his tenth straight match, led UC Merced with a career-high four goals. Pezold tallied a hat trick in the third quarter and then scored one more in the final frame.
Killian Nguyen recorded his second consecutive hat trick. Howie Zeff and Camden Peterson scored two goals each in a physical match from start to finish.
Nguyen's first goal tied the game at 1-1. West Valley College answered with a 6-1 goal scoring run to create separation in the first quarter and built their lead to as many as five goals. Nguyen beat the first quarter buzzer with his second goal of the game to cut the deficit down to four and it was a 7-3 game heading to the second period.
The Bobcats wouldn't cut into the deficit any further the rest of the afternoon, but kept battling stringing back-to-back goals together on two separate occasions in the second half. Trailing 13-6 in the third quarter, Pezold scored a pair of goals within a minute of each other to narrow the margin to five goals.
A little later trailing 16-9, Pezold scored again and Nguyen followed with a goal of his own to complete his hat trick. UC Merced never let WVB extend their lead north of seven.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will play 16th-ranked San Jose State and 4th-ranked UC Davis on Sunday, September 10 to finish out the Aggie Roundup. The Bobcats will start the day at 9:00am against San Jose State at the Schaal Aquatics Center in Davis, Calif.
