Late Comeback Falls Short in SCIAC Semifinals

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team dropped their SCIAC Semifinal match against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens on Friday night 13-10 to end the 2017 season. The Sagehens jumped all over the Stags in the first-half, but CMS hung tough and made it a game late thanks to five, fourth-quarter goals, but it was not enough as the Stags fell in the end.

Zack Rossman (CMC) and Noah Deer (CMC) each scored three goals to lead the Stags' offense on the evening. Robert Driscoll (CMC) added a pair of tallies in the match.

Pomona-Pitzer scored on their first possession of the night with a strike from Adam Ward less than a minute into the contest. Two minutes later, Rossman tied the game with an unassisted goal with 5:17 remaining in the first period.

Three-straight Pomona-Pitzer goals ended the opening period and gave the Sagehens a 4-1 lead heading into the second period. Just 27 seconds into the second period, Driscoll found Deer at the set for the goal. The tally momentarily closed the Pomona-Pitzer lead to two at 4-2.

After the Sagehens' Keegan Coleman and CMS' Deer traded goals in the next minute, Pomona-Pitzer went on a three-goal stretch to take a 7-3 lead with under two minutes remaining in the half. CMS trimmed into the lead when Driscoll found the back of the net with 15 seconds remaining in the half.

The Sagehens could not score on the final possession of the half, but they took an 8-4 lead into the half.

An impressive third period for the Sagehens pushed their lead to seven goals at 12-5. Driscoll ended a string of three-straight Pomona-Pitzer goals with a tally in the final 80 seconds of the period.

CMS attempted a late comeback, but time was not on their side. The Stags scored five, fourth-quarter goals against just one from their sixth street nemesis, but it was not enough as Pomona-Pitzer held on for the 13-10 victory. In the period, Rossman scored a pair of five-meter goals, Deer and Peter Tilton (CMC) scored on powerplays, and Christian Thornton (CMC) tallied an even-strength mark.

The Stags end the season with a 9-5 overall record. Pomona-Pitzer will continue their season on Sunday, when they host Whittier for the SCIAC Championship.