CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team stayed in the hunt to defend its national title by earning a trip to the SCIAC Tournament with an 8-6 win over Cal Lutheran on Saturday at Axelrood Pool. 

With the win, CMS improves to 7-5 in the SCIAC and will be the No. 4 seed in the SCIAC Tournament and will host Cal Lutheran again in an opening-round game on Tuesday, after the Kingsmen dropped to the No. 5 seed with the loss. 

CMS honored its senior class prior to the game for Senior Day, with Len Korol the only true senior in the Class of 2025. Fifth-year seniors Auggie Aliaga, Cristian Pang and Ashwin Rhodes also came back for their final season after being honored with last year's class. 

Luke (Bear) Weigle had three goals for the Stags, which fell behind 2-0 early but then built an 8-3 lead, before the Kingsmen scored the game's final three goals to make the score look closer. Jake Taylor had 11 saves to get the win in net for the Stags.

Korol got CMS started with a goal with 47 seconds left in teh first quarter, and the Stags added second-quarter goals from Stryker Scales, Nick Kennedy and Weigle to take a 4-2 lead into halftime. Cal Lutheran scored on its first possession of the second half, but Donovan Davidson answered and Weigle scored with one second left in the third quarter to give CMS a 6-3 lead going into the final stanza. 

Weigle opened the fourth quarter with a goal to finish his hat trick, and Thomas Walker made it 8-3 with 4:31 to play. 

CMS would have been eliminated from the SCIAC Tournament with a loss, but will get a chance to defend its SCIAC title, and possibly national title, if it can make it through to Saturday's SCIAC championship game.