Top-Ranked CMS Men's Water Polo Stays Perfect in SCIAC with 15-11 Win over Occidental

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team, ranked No. 1 in Division III (and No. 20 in all divisions), built a 12-4 lead and held off a late challenge from Occidental as it took a 15-11 win on Saturday afternoon at Axelrood Pool.

With the win, CMS moves to 12-6 overall and 3-0 in SCIAC, with all six losses coming to Division I teams that were ranked in the top 12 in the nation at the time of the game. 

Eleven different players scored for CMS, with nobody tallying more than two. Nick Kennedy led the Stags with two goals and three assists, while Gavin Rosser (two goals, one assist), Cristian Pang and Hassen Hove each scored twice as well. William Thomas had a goal and two assists, while Auggie Aliaga, Eli Schwarz, Ivey Gehring, Len Korol, Jack Bryant, and Jeffrey Koretz each tallied goals. 

A Pang goal early in the second quarter put CMS ahead 6-1, and the Stags settled for an 8-4 lead at the half after the Tigers scored the final two goals of the period. CMS came out strong in the second half with four goals in a row to seemingly take control, with Rosser scoring two straight to start the third, and Hove following up with two in a row to make it 12-4 with 3:16 left in the third.

Occidental made CMS work for it, though, and got all the way back within 13-10 with 2:02 to play, but Schwarz and Korol scored two straight goals to end any comeback hopes. 

CMS will be back in action on Wednesday for a big home matchup with Redlands, which entered the weekend ranked No. 2 in Division III after winning the USA Water Polo Division III national title a year ago.