Huntington Beach, Calif.- Golden West Men's Water Polo opened the campus pool with their first home match against Citrus College and came out with a big 13-7 win, then won their second game against LA Valley at 14-9. Freshman goalkeeper Taylor Miller had six saves and three steals and freshman Alessandro Valania led the team with three steals.
In the first quarter of the match against Citrus, Valania, sophomore Dalton Kenefick, and freshman Connor Paterson scored the first three goals of the game. Citrus came back and scored their first goal against the Rustlers, but then freshman Sean Newcombe scored to lead the Rustlers at 4-0.
In the second quarter, Paterson scored two more goals and freshman Botond Kadar scored his first goal and Citrus scored to get another point on the board, but it was not enough to take the lead from the Rustlers and the quarter ended at 7-4.
Kadar opened the third quarter with his second goal, and then Valania scored two more goals for Golden West to lead into the fourth quarter at 10-7.
In the final quarter against Citrus, Kenefick scored his second goal within the first 30 seconds of the quarter. Sophomore John Garcynski scored his first goal, and then Valania scored his fourth goal to end the match with a win for Golden West at 13-7.
In the second match of the day against LA Valley, Golden West opened with Valania, Kenefick, and Kadar scoring one goal each. LA Valley responded back with two goals and an ejection against sophomore Joshua Hueth. Freshman Garry Tichy answered for the Rustlers and scored his first goal. LA Valley then scored one more time to end the quarter with the Rustlers in the lead at 4-3.
Kenefick opened the second quarter with two goals, then sophomore Mitchell Holden scored to keep the lead. LA Valley answered back with another goal, but then freshman Nathan Sinclair scored for Golden West and ended the quarter at 8-4.
In the third quarter, goalkeeper Miller had a shut out and did not let any goals go by him. Kadar and Valania scored their second goals of the match and Kenefick scored his fourth goal to hold on to the lead for the Rustlers at 8-4.
In the fourth quarter of the final match, sophomore Jerry Kittlitz scored his first goal. LA Valley then scored three more goals, but Hueth stopped their momentum and scored a goal for the Rustlers. LA Valley came back with two more goals, but Valania scored his third goal and ended the match with the second win of the day for Golden West at 14-9.
Kittlitz, Valania, Sinclair, Holden, Kadar, and Paterson all had one assist each. Golden West Men's Water Polo will play again on Thursday, September 17 at Cuesta College.
