Nov. 4, 2010

BERKELEY, Calif. -- The ninth-ranked LMU men's water polo team saw themselves in another tight defensive one-goal game at the half against the top-ranked team in the nation, Cal. However, the Bears scored eight unanswered in the second half for an 11-2 win on Thursday night.

The Lions fall to 13-8 on the season as they begin their three games in three days stretch against the nation's best.

Cal senior Zach White scored four goals as the Golden Bears improved to 16-2 overall and have now won eight straight matches.

After a 1-1 tie after the first period, the Lions took a 2-1, when LMU's Derek Milligan scored after a mid-pool steal and a counterattack goal with 7:25 in the second period. However, from that point on it was all California as the Bears rattled off the next 10 points and held the Lions scoreless for the remainder of the contest.

The Lions will play a key Western Water Polo Association match against 13th-ranked UC Davis on Friday at 7 p.m. The game features the top two teams in the WWPA, as LMU is 11-1 and UC Davis is 12-0. The winner will have the inside track to the top seed in the upcoming WWPA Championships.

Line Score
Loyola Marymount 1 1 0 0 - 2
Cal 1 2 5 3 - 11
Goals - Loyola Marymount: Brian Flacks, Derek Milligan. Cal: Zach White 4, Ivan Rackov 3, Luka Saponjic 2, Collin Smith, Hunter Gettelfinger.
Saves - Loyola Marymount: Andy Stevens 6, Gavyn Wild 1. Cal: Justin Parsons 11