By Madyson Montoya — Contributing Writer
San Jose State men’s water polo (1-2) finished the first day of the Aggie Roundup with a 14-6 win against Chapman Univeristy (1-5) and a 8-7 loss to Cal Baptist University.
The No. 17 Spartans had a strong start coming out on top over Chapman University 14-6.
The Spartans looked to keep the momentum going against the No. 18 Lancers. The team started the first quarter off with two goals from freshmen Niels Hofmeijer and Neil Arnett.
Before the first quarter ended, CBU sophomore Joseph Galgani scored to cut the Langers’ deficit in half.
SJSU extended its lead back to two with a goal from junior Henry Smith.
CBU scored to get within one again, but at the half, the Spartans led 3-2.
With both teams fighting for the win, it was back-and-forth in the third quarter with two goals made on each side. Sophomore Justin Pickering tallied both goals for the Spartans.
Although SJSU had a 5-4 lead heading into the fourth quarter, CBU managed to take the victory 8-7. The Lancers went on a four-goal run in the fourth quarter, which included the winning shot with 1:39 left in the match.
Spartan freshmen goalkeeper Yahav Fire made 11 saves throughout the match, but his efforts fell short in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans have the opportunity to leave the tournament with a winning record of 3-1 after tomorrow’s matches.
Even with one loss on the board, it’s a good sign that the freshmen on the team are stepping up and making match-winning moves.
The Spartans continue in the tournament tomorrow against George Washington at 8:15 a.m. and Fresno Pacific at 12 p.m.
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