Warriors Earn First Win of the Season at the IEC

By Francisco Claudio

 

Westcliff men's water polo took part in the Inland Empire Classic to officially kick off their season.

 

It's been an eventful offseason leading up to these first matches as the Warriors are under new leadership with head coach Erik Zimmerman.

 

Still, Westcliff was ready to make the most of this weekend-long event that would feature some top programs. They played against UC Santa Barbara, CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, and Riverside Community College.

 

Warriors had a tough time in the first three matches but were determined to get a win as they headed into the last match of the IEC against Riverside CC. This was the first time both programs would face each other which counts towards their record.

 

Westcliff started off strong and was the first to score with less than a minute into playing time.

 

They used the good start and never let go of the lead as they finished the first period, 7-3.

 

The Warriors would go on to win every period afterward too: 9-3, 5-3, and 3-2.

 

It was a much-needed win for the championship program as they took down the Riverside Tigers 24-11.

 

The Warriors' Andrej Maodus and Adam Hodi were the scoring leaders in the match with seven apiece. Maodus followed that up with three assists and a game-leading six steals.

 

Brock Kammerer had a solid performance with three goals, two assists, and two steals.

 

Patrik Zsiros led everyone in assists with four and scored one goal as well.

 

Giorgi Khizanishvili contributed with two goals, two assists, and two steals.

 

Westcliff took 35 shots in the match compared to 30 from the Tigers.

 

Up Next: The Warriors will travel to Pepperdine University on Thursday where they will play the Waves and UC Santa Barbara once again.