ORANGE, Calif. — The Chapman University men's water polo team hosted Santa Clara in their home opener Friday evening at the Allred Aquatics Center. Sophomore utility
River Lyon led the way with three goals, but the Panthers fell to the nationally ranked Broncos 20-8.
Alongside Lyon,
Matthew Arellano,
Boston Fisher,
Steven Rubly,
Rylind Butler and
Matteo Tortoc also netted goals. The Panthers also showed out strong defensively, earning 11 steals to go along with just 11 exclusions compared to Santa Clara's 14. Starting goalkeeper
Alex Cacos had four steals to lead the way and back up
Julian Bastick took over in the fourth quarter.
Bastick breathed life back into the young team, blocking a penalty shot late in the fourth quarter. He leaped out of the water to ricochet the shot attempt off his mid forearms and the entire bench exploded. He finished with three saves in his lone quarter of action and showed a sneak peak of his potential.
Chapman played 10 of their first 11 games of the 2026 season on the road. They also faced off against six Division I opponents and showed flashes as a young team. They will now pivot towards SCIAC play. Chapman hosts La Verne at home on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 AM.
