ORANGE, Calif. — Chapman men's water polo put up one of their strongest showings of the season against the No. 1 team in the nation at the Division III level, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Panthers ended falling 17-11, but trailed by just two goals heading into halftime. 

Senior goalkeeper Jackson Sanders held his own, recording 11 saves on the day while also playing the entire game. Offensively, Sammy Hendrickson, Steven Rubly and Matthew Cormican led the way for the Panthers with five combined goals and three assists. Nathan Jones, Daniel Franks, Isaac Solberg, Rylan Takahashi, Davin Castillo and Jason Pieracci also scored. 

To stay in the game in the second half, Chapman swapped out Sanders and put Castillo, who normally wears the number three, in a number one cap to act as a 'goalie' during offensive possessions in the fourth quarter. Castillo would move up the entire offense to place pressure on CMS and have all hands on deck to score. 

It worked, as the Panthers scored three goals switching Sanders in and out in the fourth quarter. Chapman gained immense momentum to carry into the rest of SCIAC play. They currently sit at 6-13 overall and 1-2 in SCIAC play. 

They will look to bounce back as they prepare to play at Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday, Oct. 11.