Water polo splits in tourney

The Saddleback men's water polo team is gearing up for the Orange Empire Conference Championships this coming weekend and had one last opportunity to get in some late-season matches in preparation.  The Gauchos split in their own tournament over the weekend against programs outside the conference.

Saddleback opened the weekend on Friday with two straight wins.  The Gauchos defeated Chaffey College in a tight battle, beating the Panthers 11-10 in a tightly contested battle.   Saddleback had an easier time in the afternoon when they doubled up Los Angeles Trade Tech, 14-7.

Saddleback faced much tougher competition on Saturday, drawing a Palomar College team tied for first place in the Pacific Coast Conference and a Mt. San Antonio College squad that is vying for the top spot in the South Coast Conference.  Saddleback came up short in both matches, falling to Palomar 16-11 and Mt. San Antonio 16-10.

Saddleback is now 7-13 overall headed into the OEC Finals, which begin on Friday.  The Gauchos will open against Fullerton College on Friday at 9:00 AM at Riverside City College.