ORANGE, Calif. - The Men's Water Polo Team came out strong in the first quarter of its match against Chapman University Saturday, but a rough patch that saw the Panthers score the final nine goals of the first half put the game out of reach.
 
The Beavers struck first on a goal by sophomore center Jack Blackwood (pictured), but any hope of gaining momentum was quickly squashed, as Chapman equalized only 14 seconds later on a defensive breakdown by the Beavers. The hosts rattled of three more scores to take a 4-1 lead, but vice-captain Adam Khan (junior) scored back-to-back goals to bring Caltech to within one goal with under a minute to play in the opening frame. Another miscommunication led to a quick Chapman score to finish the period at 5-3, but the game would quickly be out of reach for the Beavers.
 
All eight goals in the second quarter were scored by the black-clad panthers, much to the delight of the small crowd in the city of Orange. The counter-attack proved to be too much for the Beavers to handle, despite a massive day in the cage for sophomore Tim MacDonald. He finished with 11 blocks to go along with 3 steals, but he was constantly under pressure from the tenacious Panther attack.
 
The third quarter saw Blackwood score on an extra-man opportunity to cut the deficit to 9 goals, but Tech would not find the net again. Chapman junior Jordan Randall led all scorers with 4 goals in a game that finished with a 23-4 margin.
 
The Beavers next game is the home opener versus Vanguard University. The ball drops at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, September 22 at Braun Pool.