LA VERNE, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team finished off the regular season with an 18-9 win at La Verne, securing the second seed in the upcoming SCIAC Tournament. 

CMS finished the regular season 20-5 overall and 11-1 in SCIAC play, and will host a semifinal on Thursday night at 7 p.m. against third-seeded Redlands. 

Donovan Davidson led CMS with four goals, while Nick Kennedy had three goals and six assists. Jake Taylor finished with 10 saves in goal to get the win. Ivey Gehring chipped in with a team-high three steals. 

CMS took a 6-2 lead after the first quarter, with six different goal scorers.Kennedy and Davidson scored on 6-on-5 opportunities, followed by Luke (Bear) Weigle and Jack Bryant. After La Verne got two goals back, Gavin Netherton and Jeffrey Koretz converted goals to give CMS a four-goal lead at the end of the first. 

Davidson opened the second quarter with a goal, and Christopher Petrossian and Stryker Scales added goals to put CMS ahead 9-5 at the half. 

The Leopards exchanged goals to start the half, staying within 12-8, but Scales, Gehring and Kennedy scored three in a row in the final two minutes of the third to put it away. Netherton and Davdison started out the fourth quarter with goals, and Asher Engelberg capped off the scoring. 

CMS will open SCIAC play on Thursday against Redlands, hoping to secure a spot in the SCIAC Finals, and in the USA Water Polo Division III Championship.