SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Spencer Hosch scored a game-high four goals and Jake Snyder added three to enable Concordia to hold off Santa Clara men's water polo by a score of 12-10 on Saturday in a matchup of Western Water Polo Association squads.
DeMarco Orella tallied a career-high tying three goals and John Raineri and Mac Carey collected two each for the Broncos (4-6, 0-1) in their league and home opener.
Orella's final goal, on an exclusion, midway through the fourth quarter cut the Concordia lead to 10-8, but Angel Rojas scored less than one minute later for the Eagles (7-5, 1-2).
Sam Toriggino and Paul Kirk chopped the deficit to 12-10 with late goals for the Broncos who had a chance to pull within one. With less than one minute left in the game, Scott Zurnacian made a nice long feed to Ryan Werner on the doorstep of goalkeeper Alfredo De La Mora, but he hit the post.
De La Mora was sharp in net and igniting the offense. He posted 13 saves and had one assist as well as producing a number of solid outlet passes to start the Concordia counterattack.
Santa Clara led 2-1 at the end of the first quarter, but Snyder (three) and Hosch (two) accounted for five of the team's six goals in the second frame, helping the Eagles build a 7-4 lead at the half.
Each time the Broncos rallied, Concordia had an answer.
Orella scored twice within a two-minute span of the third quarter, but Snyder and Hosch answered by each scoring in less than one minute to increase the lead to 10-6.
Toriggino had a game-high four steals and Emil Huebner, making his 10th start of the season in net, registered eight blocks for the Broncos.
Neither team was effective with the man advantage. The Broncos were 2-for-12 and the Eagles only 1 of 6.
NOTES
• Junior Reilley May and freshman Jack Rottman, both regulars in the lineup, were unable to play. Nate Miller started for May and produced three steals.
• Orella has scored a career-high three goals four times in his career, including three this season (also vs. Fordham, Sept. 9; and vs. Redlands, Sept. 16) scored three goals for the third time this season
• John Raineri (two) scored multiple times for the fifth time this season and Carey (two) had two or more goals in his third outing.
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