LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Thomas Walker had six goals for the second straight game to match his career high, and Luke (Bear) Weigle added five as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the first quarter and defeated Redlands 21-12 on the final day of the MPSF Invitational co-hosted by USC and UCLA. 

With the win the Stags improve to 5-4 and make an early statement in its quest for a second Division III title in the last three years, after Redlands took the crown a year ago. 

Nick Kennedy added three goals, while Jeffrey Koretz and Nelson Harris added two apiece and Gavin Netherton had three assists. Liam Liunenberg played the fourth quarter in goal for his first collegiate action and had four saves, and Weigle led the Stags with five drawn exclusions to go with his five goals. 

CMS opened the game by taking an 8-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, with Walker scoring four of those tallies, and Harris adding two, while Weigle and Christopher Petrossian added one apiece. Kennedy scored to make it 15-4 late in the second quarter, before the Bulldogs beat the buzzer to make it 15-5 at halftime. 

Walker opened the second half with his sixth goal, and Weigle followed, as the Stags were able to cruise the rest of the way for the win. Calvin Donat added a fourth-quarter tally to give the Stags 20 goals, while Donovan Davidson got on the scoresheet in the final frame as well. 

Walker had six goals as a first-year in 2022, before missing his sophomore season with an injury. He matched that total again yesterday in a narrow 13-11 loss to No. 17 UC Santa Barbara, and then repeated it today to finish the tournament with 14 goals to lead the Stags, while Kennedy added 10, including five against No. 2 USC on Friday. 

CMS will be off for 10 days before opening SCIAC play with a road game at Whittier on October 1, before hosting the Gary Troyer Invitational on Oct. 3-4.