(San Luis Obispo, CA) The Mt. SAC Men's Water Polo team began the 2019 season in mid-September with an offensive explosion (84 goals) on its five-game, Eastern trip in Pennsylvania.
This past weekend, Friday and Saturday (Oct. 18, 19), they almost repeated that feat and scored 82 goals and won all five games at the Cuesta College Tournament against all Northern teams.
The Mounties opened with three wins on Friday against American River, 15-7, Merced, 11-7, and DeAnza, 20-6. In the final two games on Saturday, the Mounties defeated Ohlone, 15-7, and Modesto, 21-9.
With the five wins, the Mounties are now 15-4 on the season.
Leading the way for the Mounties in the five games was Brandon Shew with 14 goals and six assists, followed by Dillon Mannion with eight goals and five assists.
Kyle Green (leader with 8 assists) and Ian Tauer added seven goals each. Three players had six goals apiece - Matthew Hinson (3 A), Noah Brokaw (1 A) and Justin Wakefield (6 A). Jarrett Barker had five goals and an assist.
Wakefield had an amazing tourney, defensively, with 17 steals, with a game-high six in two games. Wakefield was followed by four players with eight steals - Shew, Green, Tauer and Hinson. Nicholas Fabrega added seven steals.
Goalie Andres Mercado earned wins in all five games.
Gm. #1 - Mt. SAC 15, American River 7
Shew led all players with five goals on five shots in the game, as the Mounties took an 8-2 lead at the half and never looked back. Mannion added three goals for Mt. SAC.
Gm. #2 - Mt. SAC 11, Merced 7
Green led the Mounties with three goals, along with two steals, while Tauer and Mannion added two each.
The game, which was the closest of the tourney, saw the Mounties only holding a two-goal lead, 8-6, after three periods. Three consecutive goals by Tauer, Green and Hinson in just over a two-minute stretch, gave the Mounties an 11-6 lead with 4:20 remaining. Wakefield was the star on defense with six steals.
Gm. # 3 - Mt. SAC 20, DeAnza 6
Balanced scoring saw 12 players connect for the Mounties in the game. Shew and Noah Slack scored three each.
Holding a four-goal, 6-2 lead after the opening period, the Mounties scored in double figures for 10 goals and an insurmountable, 16-3 led at the half
Gm. # 4 - Mt. SAC 15, Ohlone 7
Wakefield again led all players in the game with six steals, while adding three assists and three goals.
Shew and Tauer added three goals each, as the Mounties held a 6-3 halftime lead. They outscored Ohlone, 9-4, in the second half for the win.
Gm. # 5 - Mt. SAC 21, Modesto 9
Ten players got into the scoring column in the final game of the tourney for the Mounties, as four players had three each - Shew (2 steals), Green (A, 2 Stls.), Brokaw (A, Stl.) and Rangel (A, 4 Stls.).
The Mounties again built up a big first-half lead with a 14-2 lead and played Modesto even in the second half, with each team scoring seven goals.
The Mounties (2-1 in the SCC) continue South Coast Conference action Wednesday (Oct. 23) with a home game against Cerritos (16-7) at 4:15 pm. Cerritos and Long Beach are tied atop the conference with 3-0 records.
Follow Mt. SAC Men's Water Polo on twitter @mtsacaquatics
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.