CLAREMONT, Calif. - Nick Kennedy scored his sixth goal of the game with 59 seconds left to break an 11-11 tie, and Jake Taylor had a save from close range to seal it with 30 seconds left, as the No. 19 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team defeated No. 13 UC Irvine in its second game of the Gary Troyer Invitational on Friday at Axelrood Pool. 

CMS also won the first game of the day 19-7 over Mt. St, Mary's, behind four goals apiece from Kennedy and Thomas Walker, as the Stags improve to 8-4 on the year. 

The UC Irvine victory was a huge one for the Stags, who moved into the national (all divisions) poll two weeks ago at No. 20 and crept up a spot to No. 19 last week. The win over the Anteaters was its first over a ranked team this year, although it defeated a Harvard team that was receiving votes at the time, also by one goal. 

Nobody ever had a two-goal lead in the entire game between UC Irvine and CMS, as there were 11 ties and six lead changes, the last coming when Kennedy was able to tuck one inside the right post on a 6-on-5 with 59 seconds to play 

UC Irvine worked the shot clock all the way down on its ensuing possession, and was able to get space in front of the cage, but Taylor came up with a huge save, and CMS was able to track down the rebound near the sideline with 25 seconds left and play keepaway until the horn sounded. 

Walker added four goals for the Stags, including the tying goal with 3:55 left. Taylor, who finished with nine saves, had two big stops with the score tied 11-11 to help set up the game-winner. Donovan Davidson and Nelson Harris also scored for CMS. 

In the opening game of the day against Mt. St. Mary's, CMS jumped out to a 6-1 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 12-3 lead at the half. Kennedy, Luke (Bear) Weigle and Davidson opened with goals, and after the Mountaineers scored, Davidson, Christopher Petrossian and Walker found the net. 

Weston Hartel, Calvin Donat and Jeffrey Koretz scored goals in the third, which was capped off by two straight goals from Harris. Asher Engelberg tallied another to start the fourth, and Walker tallied two in the fourth quarter to seal it. Taylor had 12 saves in three quarters to get the win in goal, and Chase Campbell added four more in the 

CMS will be back in action tomorrow on the second day of the Gary Troyer Invitational when it takes on McKendree at 11:30 a.m. and Air Force at 5:45 p.m.