Air Force Academy
Cal Baptist
Falcons take third in WWPA, beat Cal Baptist, 12-8
11/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Water Polo
Riley Thomas scored four goals as Air Force beat California Baptist, 12-8, in the third place game of the Western Water Polo Association Championships, Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Academy's Cadet Natatorium. Air Force finished the season with a 12-17 overall record and a third-place finish in the WWPA tournament.
Air Force opened the scoring on Zach Kamai's goal from the center at 6:46. After back-to-back shot clock violations on Cal Baptist, Thomas put the Falcons up 2-0 at 6:05. The Lancers scored the next two, but the Falcons answered with two goals in the final 2:01 for a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. Thomas' second of the quarter came at 2:01 and then Justin Harrison scored from center with 27 seconds remaining.
Junior Eric Curia opened the second quarter with a quick goal that deflected off a defender at 6:27. After a Lancers goal, the Falcons scored the next two. Edward Smet scored on a breakaway at 3:15 and then, just after an exclusion was called on the Lancers, Harrison set up Riley Quinlan for a 7-3 lead with 12 seconds left in the second quarter.
Air Force scored the first three goals of the third for a 10-3 advantage. Curia took a shot that hit the post and Zach Kamai put back the rebound at 6:59. Thomas then scored his third of the game with a lob at 6:24. George Millard gave the Falcons a 10-3 lead with a skip shot on the counter at 4:09. After a Lancers' goal, Kamai had a short-handed breakaway and was fouled on the play. On the ensuing penalty shot, Thomas scored his fourth of the game at 3:00. CBU scored with 1:56 left to cut the AFA lead to 11-5 at the end of the third.
The Lancers opened the fourth quarter with a goal at 4:14, but the Falcons answered on the power play as Edward Smet scored from a sharp angle on the right side at 3:10. CBU rounded out the scoring with 1:45 remaining.
