LOS ANGELES, Calif. — No. 15-ranked Loyola Marymount University men’s water polo used a big second quarter to pull away from and defeat George Washington University under the lights at home in the Burns Center by a 9-7 score.
George Washington scored off a penalty shot by Viktor Jovanovic with 6;04 left in the first quarter into the game, but the Lions equalized at 4:42 on a powerplay goal as Abel Romero Corbalan found Tommaso Baldineti for the goal. The roles reversed at the 3:05 mark as Romero Corbalan scored on a powerplay from a Baldineti pass to give the Lions their first lead. George Washington tied the game on a 6-on-5 chance as Andrija Sekulic dented the twine with 2:38 left on the clock to make it a two-all tie at the end of the first quarter.
After the Revolutionaries took a lead with 6:16 remaining in the first half courtesy another Sekulic man-up strkes, it was all Lions for the remainder of the second quarter.
LMU scored the next three goals before intermission to carry a 5-3 lead into the break. Jonny Rimlinger tied the game at three-all with 1:31 remaining in the half, Denzel Tate scored with 45 seconds left and Romero Corbalan added another with seven seconds remaining.
The lead continued to build for the Lions as Tate (5:38) and Augie Renezeder (4:54) scored early in the third quarter to expand the lead to 7-3. GW goalkeeper Luca Castorina put an end to the run by rifling in a shot to make it 7-4 with 3:32 to play in the quarter.
Jovanovic opened the fourth quarter with another marker at 5:05 to inch the Revolutionaries within a pair at 7-5, but Baldineti provided a response at 4:22 to build LMU’s to 8-5. However, Jovanovic delivered a man-up marker with 2:36 to put new life in George Washington as the team was once again with two at 8-6.
Alex Marlow secured the victory for the Lions by punching in the team’s final goal with 38 seconds remaining. A five-meter call provided GW’s final goal as Jovanovic put away a penalty shot with 15 seconds left to close the final gap to 9-7 prior to the horn.
Stelios Dalmaras earned the win for LMU with 11 saves, while Castorina stopped nine shots in suffering the loss.
Jovanovic led the Revolutionaries.offense with four goals, while Sekulic and Castorina deposited a pair and a solo marker, respectively.
Denzel, Romero Corbalan and Baldineti each scored twice for Loyola Marymount with Renezeder, Marlow and Rimlinger tacking on solo strikes.
Information courtesy Loyola Marymount University Athletics Communications
