Brown University
Fresno Pacific
No. 11 Men's Water Polo Bests Fresno Pacific, No. 13 Air Force
10/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – No. 11 Brown University men's water polo defeated Fresno Pacific University, 10-7, and edged No. 13 Air Force, 10-8, to conclude play at "The Rodeo" on Sunday at Santa Clara University's Sullivan Aquatic Center.
The Bears (17-6) gained a 9-2 halftime advantage on their way to the victory over the Sunbirds (9-12) in their first game of the day before rallying from a 7-5 halftime deficit against the Falcons (6-15) in the afternoon in their third and final day at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational.
Junior goalie Luke Weiser (Los Alamitos, Calif.) and the Bears' defense held Air Force to one goal in the second half in a contest pitting top-20 opponents. Weiser totaled 17 saves in the game against the Falcons.
Next, Brown returns to CWPA Northern Division play with contests at Connecticut College on Saturday, Oct. 31 against the host Camels (9 a.m.) and Iona College (3:30 p.m.). The next day, the Bears host No. 17 St. Francis Brooklyn (10 a.m.) and Fordham (2 p.m., Senior Game) to conclude the regular season.
Game 1 – No. 11 Brown 10, Fresno Pacific 7
Senior Will Klein (Pasadena, Calif.), junior Jake Wyatt (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) and sophomore Tyler Kirchberg (Orinda, Calif.) each scored two goals as No. 11 Brown beat Fresno Pacific, 10-7, on Saturday morning.
The Bears took a 9-2 lead at halftime en route to the victory. Senior Matty Gallas (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and juniors Luke Irwin (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Yahel Murvitz-Lahav (Tel Aviv, Israel), and Warren Smith (Dallas, Texas) netted one goal apiece.
In net, freshman goalkeeper Will Renken (South Pasadena, Calif.) made 10 saves.
Brown claimed a 4-1 lead to start the contest behind markers from Wyatt, Klein, Murvitz-Lahav, and Irwin in order. Fresno Pacific pulled within 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.
The Bears logged all five of the second stanza's goal to gain a 9-2 edge at halftime. Gallas started the run before Kirchberg registered back-to-back goals. Wyatt and Smith concluded the spurt with goals for the Bears.
The Sunbirds charted the third period's only two goals to cut their deficit to 9-4 heading to the fourth quarter.
Klein gave the Bears a 10-5 lead in the fourth quarter with a goal before Fresno Pacific accounted for the match's last two markers.
Brown 10, Fresno Pacific 7
Brown....................... 4…5…0…1…10
Fresno Pacific......... 2…0…2…3…7
Brown Goals: Kirchberg 2, Klein 2, Wyatt 2, Gallas, Irwin, Murvitz-Lahav, Smith.
Brown Saves: Renken 10.
Game 2 – No. 11 Brown 10, No. 13 Air Force 8
Kirchberg, Klein, Wyatt, and sophomore Rico Burke (San Mateo, Calif.) scored two goals apiece as No. 11 Brown came back to top No. 13 Air Force, 10-8, in the team's fifth and final game in California on Sunday afternoon.
Irwin and Smith contributed one goal each as the Bears outscored the Falcons 2-0 in the third quarter and 3-1 in the fourth quarter.
Trailing 7-5 heading into the third frame, Kirchberg scored the only two goals of the quarter, and Brown's defense blanked Air Force to level the score at 7-7 entering the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Burke sent a shot into the right side of the net to give the Bears an 8-7 edge. Air Force equalized at 8-8, but Smith netted the game winner, and Klein added an insurance goal from the inside to propel the Bears to the triumph.
Air Force opened the game with a 2-0 advantage before Klein scored from the inside and Wyatt converted from the wing as the two sides stood tied at 2-2 after the first period.
Brown gained a 4-3 lead in the second quarter with tallies from Burke and Wyatt bookending an Air Force marker. Despite a goal from Irwin, the Falcons used a 4-1 run to bring a 7-5 lead into the break.
Brown 10, Air Force 8
Brown....................... 2…3…2…3…10
Air Force................... 2…5…0…1…8
Brown Goals: Burke 2, Kirchberg 2, Klein 2, Wyatt 2, Irwin, Smith.
Brown Saves: Weiser 17.
