Men’s Water Polo Falls to Saddleback

The Riverside City College men's water polo team hit the road for an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) matchup against the Saddleback College Gauchos this past Wednesday. The Tigers struggled to gain any true traction despite outscoring the Gauchos in the third quarter and ultimately fell by the final score of 13-7.

Riverside got off to a strong start as they were knotted up with the Gauchos, 2-2, after the first eight minutes of play. Two of sophomore driver Tyler Strabel's (Lake Elsinore, CA) three goals came in the first quarter to provide a solid foundation. However, a five goal outburst by Saddleback in the following frame put a damper on the remainder of the game.

The Tigers batted back to outscore the Gauchos in the third quarter, 4-2. Strabel added his final score of the contest, while sophomore driver Hunter Starkey (San Bernardino, CA), freshman driver Alexis Gutierrez (Mira Loma, CA), and freshman center Jacob Bills (Redlands, CA) all fired home consecutive scores.

Unfortunately, the Gauchos offense was too much en route to a 13-7 defeat.

Sophomore driver Pedro Osorio (San Bernardino, CA) did all he could on the defensive end by racking up a team-high eight steals while tossing in an assist. Strabel led with three goals, while sophomore goalkeeper Kristopher McVeigh (Riverside, CA) recorded five saves.

The Tigers (6-6, 1-1 OEC) host the Riverside City College Tournament starting Friday, October 6^th. They will face off against Cuesta and Cerritos, respectfully, in non-conference action.