REDLANDS, Calif. – No. 3 Pomona-Pitzer outscored the MIT water polo team 9-3 in quarters two and three to earn a 13-9 win in the first game of the day for the Engineers. In game two of the day the Engineers dropped an 18-12 decision to No. 2 Redlands.
 
THE BASICS:

• Scores: Pomona Pitzer 13, MIT 9; Redlands 18, MIT 12
• Records: MIT (2-4), Pomona-Pitzer (2-4); Redlands (2-4)

 HOW IT HAPPENED VS. POMONA-PITZER

• Junior Adam Ivatorov (Rockaway, N.Y.) took a pass from sophomore Rick Lundh (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) on the 6-5 chance and tallied his second goal of the quarter to give MIT a 3-1 lead after one.
• The Sagehens scored the first three goals of the second to tie the match at three as the two teams went back-and-forth throughout the second and third quarters.
• After Lundh tied the game at six at 6:12 in the third, Pomona went on a 5-0 run to take an 11-6 lead. First year Derek Schaffer (Redondo Beach, Calif.) stopped the run with 4:42 left, but Pomona got two quick goals to go up 13-7.
• MIT got a powerplay goal from sophomore Matthew Pryce (Johannesburg, South Africa) and a tip-in score from sophomore Kieran Kearns (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) with three seconds left.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Ivatorov led the way with his fifth hat trick of the season. Lundh finished with a goal and team-high two assists.
• First year Armaan Gill (Long Grove, Ill.) made 13 stops for the Engineers.
• Pomona had eight different scorers in the game. Senior Liam Byrne (McLean, Va.) made seven saves in goal.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED VS. REDLANDS

• The Bulldogs raced out to a 7-1 lead before goals from Ivatorov and sophomore Jackson Kay (Palo Alto, Calif.) made it a 7-3 match at 3:41 in the second. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 10-4 after 16 minutes of play.
• Sophomore Andras Beleznay (Delray Beach, Fla.) cut the Bulldogs' lead in half at 6:53 in the third, but goals from senior Max Wagener (Piedmont, Calif.) and junior Brody Nielsen (Capitola, Calif.) made it a 12-5 match.
• MIT mounted a comeback late in the fourth as back-to-back goals from Ivatorov made it a 17-10 game. Pryce then found the back of the net at 2:09 to get MIT to within six but the Bulldogs held on for the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• With his three goals, Ivatorov has recorded a hat trick in every game this season. Pryce and Beleznay finished with two goals each for the Engineers.
• First year Joshua Woren (Aurora, Colo.) made seven saves in goal.
• Wagener led Redlands with four goals in the match. Senior Roberto Barrera (Guanajuato, Mexico) stopped seven Engineer scoring attempts.

UP NEXT:

• MIT concludes its California trip with a 1:30 PM EST match against DIII No. 8 Whitter on Sunday, September 15. 

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