MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's water polo team came up short on Senior Day, falling 11-5 to Biola on Saturday afternoon at the Aquatics Center.
The Bobcats (4-12, 0-3) celebrated seniors Vincent Labonte and Aydann Hambruch prior to the match.
Labonte scored two goals for the Bobcats. Jakee Chacon also scored two goals, his first two goals as a Bobcat. Weston Oliver rounded out the Bobcats scoring.
Goalkeeper Matthew Lloyd was strong in the cage with a season-high 19 saves, one shy of his career-high.
The Bobcats trailed 2-0 at the end of the first quarter and 5-0 midway through the second quarter.
Chacon broke through for UC Merced on back-to-back possessions late in the second quarter with goals at the 2:35 and 1:48 mark to make it 5-2. Biola got a goal back before intermission to lead the Bobcats 6-2 at the break.
The Bobcats kept battling a tough Biola defense and scored the first two goals in the third quarter to cut into the deficit. The goals by Labonte and Oliver brought UC Merced within two, 6-4, with 4:16 left in the period.
However, Biola got rolling again and outscored the Bobcats 5-1 the rest of the match to improve to 3-0 in WWPA action. Biola led 8-4 heading into the final frame and made it a five-goal margin in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. The Bobcats couldn't recover.
Up next, UC Merced will play four matches at the Julian Fraser Memorial hosted by Santa Clara October 24-26. Up first for the Bobcats is fifth-ranked Fordham on Friday at 5:20pm at Sullivan Aquatic Center.
