Air Force Academy
Chapman
No. 19 Air Force Defeats Chapman, 15-7
9/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Sept. 11, 2010
USAFA, Colo. -
With 10 different players finding the back of the net, the 19th-ranked Air Force water polo team picked up a 15-7 victory over WWPA foe Chapman at the Cadet Water Polo Pool. The Falcons, playing the first of just two home games this season, improve to 2-3 on the season and 2-2 in the Western Water Polo Association.
Air Force got out to a quick start, scoring just over a minute into the contest with a goal from senior Matt Versage (Merced, Calif.). Although Chapman had several scoring opportunities in the period, sophomore goalkeeper Mike Fish (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) made six stops to keep the Panthers scoreless. Meanwhile, Matt Shields (Sr., Gilroy, Calif.) added another goal for the Falcons to give Air Force a 2-0 advantage after the first quarter.
The Falcons extended their lead to 5-0 by the middle of the second period with scores from Versage, Josh Stedman (Fr., Brea, Calif.) and Taque Patino (Jr., Rockford, Mich.). The Panthers tallied their first goal of the game with two minutes remaining in the quarter, as Air Force went into the intermission with a 5-1 advantage.
Air Force's offense heated up in the third period, beginning with a pair of goals from senior captain Bobby Geiger (Buellton, Calif.) in the first minute and a half of action. A 5-meter score by Chapman cut the margin to five goals, but the Falcons outscored the Panthers 3-1 over the remainder of the period, including a penalty goal from sophomore Cruz Smithson (Capistrano Beach, Calif.) and scores from Shields and Stedman.
In the final quarter, the Falcons once again got out to a quick start, with senior Kurt Lemmen (Orlando, Fla.) getting on the board less than 30 seconds into the period. The Air Force reserves took over the remainder of the game, with freshman Max Reilly (Davis, Calif.) tallying a pair of goals. After scores from Brad Duncan (Fr., Fresno, Calif.) and Andrew Hamilton (Fr., Mechanicsburg, Pa.) gave the Falcons a 10-point cushion, the Panthers registered the final two goals of the game.
In addition to having a balanced offensive attack, Air Force also received strong defensive play from Fish, who recorded 15 saves in three periods of action.
The Falcons close out their 2010 home slate tomorrow with another match-up versus Chapman. The game is slated to begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Cadet Water Polo Pool.
No. 19 Air Force 15, Chapman 7
Chapman 0 1 2 4 7
Air Force 2 3 5 5 15
Chapman Scoring: Masson 2, Parlee, Waechter, Neville, Therrien, Carter
AF Scoring: Versage 2, Shields 2, Geiger 2, Stedman 2, Reilly 2, Patino, Smithson, Lemmen, Duncan, Hamilton
