WWPA Championships Tournament Schedule/Bracket

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Will Grant scored three goals to help lead sixth-seeded and No. 15 Santa Clara men to a hard-fought 11-10 victory over No. 4 seed Fresno Pacific Saturday in a consolation round game in the Western Water Polo Association Championships at Air Force.

Grant’s final tally of the day tied the score at 9-all with 4:02 left in a game where neither team led by more than one until the final two minutes. His exclusion goal was one of three straight for Santa Clara, which knocked off the Sunbirds for the second time this season.

“It wasn’t a very pretty game,” head coach Keith Wilbur said. “We made some mistakes and gave up some goals. But we did what we needed to do in the fourth quarter.”

The Broncos (12-20) added fourth-quarter goals from Sam Toriggino (at 3:04 on the power play) and Garrat Johnson (the eventual game-winner with 1:45 left) to extend the lead to 11-9.

Zlatko Vlasic scored one of his game-high four goals with 22 seconds left for Fresno Pacific, but the Broncos were able to run out the clock and move on to play Loyola Marymount Sunday in the fifth-place game.

“Will Grant and Garrat Johnson really stepped up today and showed a lot of heart,” Wilbur said. “Will scored a couple goals in the second half and also earned a few ejections to help get us going.”

Johnson played despite getting sick before the game, which was tied nine times.

“He’s a tough kid and I was really impressed. He grinded it out and scored the eventual game-winner,” Wilbur said.

After the first quarter ended 3-3, the two teams battled in the second for over six minutes until Fresno Pacific scored to take a one goal lead. On the next possession, Demarco Orella found the back of the net to tie it 4-4 less than one minute before the half.

The Broncos struck first in the third on a penalty shot by Graham McClone. Both teams worked to a 7-7 tie, then Michael Franco scored in the last minute to give Santa Clara an 8-7 lead entering the final period.

Santa Clara and second-seeded and 14th-ranked LMU will play at 8:30 a.m. Pacific on the final day of the tournament that features seven teams.

No. 6 Santa Clara 11, No. 4 Fresno Pacific 10

Goals: Garrat Johnson (1), Demarco Orella (1), Julian Fraser (1), Graham McClone (1), Michael Franco (1), John Raineri (1), Dane Estrella (1), Will Grant (3), Same Toriggino (1)
Saves: Joe Maestri (5)