LA VERNE, Calif. -
Fletcher Appeldorn scored the first three goals of the game to stake the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's water polo team to an early lead, and the Stags went on to take a 10-7 win over La Verne in a road SCIAC contest on Saturday at Las Flores Pool.
Appeldorn finished with a team-high four goals, as CMS moves to 9-12 on the year overall and 5-1 in the SCIAC. La Verne slips to 6-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
With 57 seconds left in the first, Appeldorn completed his hat trick to put the Stags ahead 3-0, before the Leopards got on the board to close the gap to two to close out the first frame.
Gavin Netherton answered back with a goal to start the second quarter, and
Jack Bryant added one with 1:12 left in the half to give the Stags a 5-1 lead at the break.
Weston Hartel answered a Leopard goal in the third quarter to make it 6-2, and
Caiden Titus struck to make it 7-3. After the Leopards closed to within 7-4,
Jack Balas converted a penalty shot.
La Verne again made it a three-goal game at 8-5 at the end of three quarters, and got back to within two goals with the first tally of the fourth, But Appledorn added his fourth goal of the game with 3:07 left. The Leopards again closed it to two, but
Tor Martin pushed the lead to 10-7 with 2:23 to go.
Connor Burks had six saves in goal, while Asher Engleberg and Hartel each had three steals defensively and Bryant and Appeldorn each added two.
CMS will be back in action when it hosts Occidental on Wednesday evening for a 7 p.m. contest.
