Redlands Men’s Water Polo Extends Win Streak With 21-5 Blowout of Caltech

By David James Heiss

Redlands News Collective

Photo by Adrian Williams

At 6’5", senior attacker Oliver Finley was playmaker across both games — scoring a hat trick on the road to seal the Whittier win and adding another assist/point in the Caltech game.

REDLANDS — The University of Redlands men’s water polo team pushed its winning streak to five games after a hard-fought 13-10 SCIAC road victory over Whittier College last Wednesday before returning home to overpower Caltech 21-5 on Saturday at the Thompson Aquatic Center.

With the back-to-back victories, Redlands improved to 9-10 overall and 5-1 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

Bulldogs Trounce Caltech in 21-5 Rout

In less than a minute Saturday morning Redlands set the stage, as senior Matthew Wheeler, of Visalia, set up Glendora junior Michael Villagran for the opening goal just 47 seconds into the match before Wheeler found the net himself 16 seconds later.

A goal by junior Joseph Madigan, of Arlington, Virginia, at the 6:22 mark put the Bulldogs up 3-0 in less than two minutes.

The Bulldogs commanded the match with six unanswered goals across the first and second quarters to break the game open, leading 10-4 at halftime.

Redlands’ dominant play continued in the second half, mounting an 11-0 run over the final 15 minutes to boast a blowout victory.

Freshman Evan Keene, of Torrance, led the Bulldogs' attack with a career-high four goals and an assist. Sophomore Brady Bailey, of Ramona, provided three assists, while Wheeler, Madigan, Camarillo sophomore Camilo Solis, Yucaipa freshman Blake Minkler, Alameda freshman Zach Dortch, Torrance junior Kalani Nelson, Oviedo, Florida, sophomore Noah Tikoo, Huntington Beach freshman Christian Newberry, Spring Valley junior Ryan Motta, and Long Beach freshman Samson Casem all contributed to a balanced offense.

Redlands gave three goalies some time to play in the latest contest. Carlsbad sophomore Nathan Gattorna started and recorded five saves with two steals in the first half, while Honolulu freshman Matias Sheridan and Roseville senior Troy Barker combined for three saves in the final 16 minutes.

Sophomore Septime De Bonnafos, of Marseille, France, got a breather Saturday after playing the full 32 minutes and recording 13 saves on 23 shots against Whittier last Wednesday.

Bulldogs Hold Off Whittier on the Road

The Oct. 14 matchup in Whittier was not so easy. Redlands rallied from an early 3-1 deficit in the first quarter, fueled by a 3-0 run with goals from El Cajon senior Jake Simpson, sophomore Ossie Joplin, of Kentfield, and Cape Town, South Africa, senior Oliver Finley, who had a team-high hat trick. Honolulu freshman Nick Davidson added a late tally to give Redlands a 5-4 edge entering the second period.

The Bulldogs built a 9-6 lead by halftime, but Whittier trimmed the lead to 11-9 early in the fourth quarter.

Up Next

The Bulldogs return home Wednesday, Oct. 21, to face top-ranked Pomona-Pitzer at 7 p.m. inside the Thompson Aquatic Center.