Men’s Water Polo Wins Four Games in 45th Annual Mt. SAC Tournament

Men’s Water Polo Wins Four Games in 45th Annual Mt. SAC Tournament

(Walnut, CA) For the second time, in as many early-season tournaments, the Mt. SAC Men's Water Polo Team scored an amazing 60-plus goals in a four game span. The latest scoring frenzy was at the 45th Annual Mt. SAC Tournament, where the team scored 66 goals in four consecutive wins last Friday and Saturday (SEP 14-15).

Mt. SAC (7-2) has now scored 142 goals, is averaging 15.8 goals per game and is riding a five-game winning streak.

Utility player Jarrett Barker led the team with 14 goals (5 assists, 6 steals), followed closely by utility Jonathan Heredia (7 assists, 11 steals) and attacker Edgar Cueva (7 assists, 17 steals) with 12 goals each. Center Noah Brokaw (3 assists, 5 steals) added 11 goals for the Mounties. Barker currently leads the team in scoring with 35 goals.

Goalie Jake Simmons made 35 saves and had four assists, while Andres Mercado made 19 saves.

"I think the team turned a bit of a corner together this weekend," replied Mt. SAC Men's Water Polo Coach Marc Ruh. "We started to do some really good things and came together quite a bit as a team. We had some good team wins."


Game #1 - Mt. SAC 17, Ventura 12

Barker led the team with four goals, attacker Eli Lew (4 assists) and utility player Jonathan Heredia (3 goals, 3 assists) each had four steals apiece. 

Mt. SAC held an 11-7 lead at the half, behind three Barker and two Heredia goals.

The Mounties outscored Ventura 6-5 in the second half for the win.


Game #2 – Mt. SAC 17, Sierra 8

Barker had his best game of the tournament with six goals, followed by three each from Heredia (assist, 2 steals) and Cueva (2 assists, 6 steals). Simmons had eight saves and added a pair of assists.

With the Mounties holding a slim, 3-2, lead after the first period, they outscored the Wolverines, 7-2, in the second behind a pair of goals each from Barker and Heredia to hold a 10-4 halftime advantage. The duo repeated their first half feat, scoring two goals each in the second half to help lead the Mounties to a 7-4 advantage in the half and the win.


Game # 3 - Mt. SAC 18, Palomar 8

Brokaw (assist, 2 steals) had his highest goal output of the tournament with five goals.  Heredia (assist, 2 steals) and Cueva (assist, 7 steals) each had 4 goals apiece.

Goalies Simmons and Mercado limited Palomar to just 8 goals.  Simmons had 15 saves and an assist, while Mercado had eight saves.

The Mounties more than doubled up on Palomar after the first half with an 11-5 lead. Brokaw led the half with four of his five goals.

Mt. SAC doubled up on Palomar again in the second half, 7-3, for the easy win.


Game #4 – Mt. SAC 14, Santa Monica 6

Balanced scoring for the Mounties led to their fourth win in the tournament.  Four Mounties scored two or more goals.  

Barker (3 assist, 2 steals) and Brokaw (assist, 2 steals) scored three each, while Heredia (2 assists, 3 steels) and Cueva (2 assist, steal) added two apiece.

The 9-4 first-half lead and two shutout periods (1st and 3rd) by Simmons (7 saves) aided in the win for the Mounties. Mercado had five saves.

The Mounties took a whopping 34 shots in the game and scored on five of 10 (.500%) power plays.

The Mounties will play at El Camino College on Wednesday, September 19th in a South Coast Conference matchup and will then travel to Pennsylvania to play six games in three days. They will play Gannon University, McKendree University, Penn State University Behrend, Washington and Jefferson University and Salem International University.

Follow Mt. SAC Men's Water Polo on twitter @mtsacaquatics

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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.