Men's water polo earns first SCIAC win

ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University men's water polo team earned its first SCIAC win tonight when they beat No. 10 La Verne 15-9. Sophomore goalkeeper Wesley Hertel recorded a career-high 16 blocks in the net for the Panthers.

Hertel saved 16 out of the 25 shots that were blasted at him, only allowing nine goals to one of the top teams in Division III.

The Leopards struck early with a goal just over two minutes into the first quarter, but the Panthers answered with four goals in a row to finish out the quarter. Two of those goals were scored by senior Jeff O'Brien, who netted a total of five on the night.

The second quarter was more back-and-forth, as Chapman and La Verne traded goals. Senior Bennett Royce added two of his own, lifting the Panthers to an 8-4 lead going into halftime.

The Leopards came out firing in the second half, scoring two goals within the first two minutes. Royce struck back, adding a third goal in the third quarter to complete his hat trick.

La Verne narrowed the lead to just three points entering the final quarter of the match, but three consecutive goals by the Panthers ensured the victory for the squad. O'Brien and senior Jack Hillman added two insurance goals in the final minute of the game to make the final score 15-9.

On top of O'Brien's five goals, he also recorded two steals and six earned ejections. Junior Kevin Dayan was moving the ball for the Panthers, tallying five assists on the night.

Chapman travels to Redlands this week but returns home on Saturday, Sept. 30 to take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in another SCIAC match.

by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant

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