ORANGE, Calif.— Chapman men's water polo held strong through three quarters of play against No. 7 Long Beach State in their home opener Saturday morning. The Panthers fell to the Division I powerhouse 20-8, but trailed by just four goals heading into the fourth quarter. 

The game was a rather full circle moment for Chapman's starting goalkeeper Jackson Sanders, who played at Long Beach State from 2021-23. Against his old team, the All-American recorded 17 saves, three of which came on a single possession. Sanders also holds the record for most saves in a single game in school history with 21. 

Offensively, junior Davin Castillo poured on three goals to lead the Panthers. Steven Rubly accounted for another two goals while Nathan Jones, Sahak Abrahamyan and Luke Stiebel netted the team's other three goals. 

Despite best efforts, Long Beach pulled away in the fourth quarter as they netted eight goals. Toring and Corbin Stanley combined for fives goals while Artur Diaz, Michael Soybel and Sandro Pueyo had another two goals each. Overall, the Beach had 42 shots on goal to just 20 for Chapman. 

The Panthers will look to bounce back as they head on the road for the Titan Invitational at Cal State Fullerton. They will play against Air Force on Friday, Sept 12.