CMS Men's Water Polo Celebrates Senior Day with 14-8 Win over Redlands

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team honored its eight seniors prior to the game and captured a 14-8 win over Redlands on Saturday evening at Axelrood Pool.

CJ Box, Will Clark, Robert Driscoll, Sam Harrison, Noah Smith, Christian Thornton, Eric Warmoth and Andrew Wraith were honored before the contest, which CMS won to improve to 14-10 overall and 9-4 in the SCIAC. Len Korol led the way with three goals offensively, while Wraith and Thornton each had two goals and an assist and Smith had 12 saves.  

CMS started the game a bit slow, with Cristian Pang tying the score at 2-2 on a penalty shot with 36 seconds left in the first quarter. The Stags then exploded for seven goals in the second quarter to take control, pulling ahead 9-4 at halftime. Wraith put the Stags ahead to stay, before Box followed with a goal to make it a 4-2 lead. Driscoll then quickly followed with another to put CMS up 5-2 with 4:56 remaining before the half. 

Redlands stopped the run for a moment, but Kyle Ballack answered right back for the Stags to restore a three-goal lead at 6-3. Pang then scored his second penalty shot of the half with 2:35 left, before Wraith and Thornton closed out the half with goals. 

Thornton started off the second half with another goal to make it a 10-4 game. Redlands scored the next two goals, but Smith stopped a penalty shot and Korol scored off a Clark assist to make it 11-6 heading into the fourth. Harrison scored in the fourth to help put it away, and Korol and Auggie Aliaga finished out the scoring. 

CMS will close out the regular season at Whittier on Wednesday, where a win could keep the Stags in the hunt for the third seed in the SCIAC Tournament. CMS has already clinched one of the four spots, with Pomona-Pitzer currently holding down the top spot, and Cal Lutheran and Whittier in the 2-3 positions.